Free Sutton Trust Apprenticeships Programme

The Sutton Trust, a UK social mobility charity, runs Access Apprenticeships for state school students in Year 12 who want to go into a top apprenticeship after school or college. Over the programme you meet leading employers and like-minded peers, get a personal mentor for your applications, and do three to five days of work experience in one of three sectors: Banking and Finance in London, Engineering in Manchester, or Law in London or Manchester. It is not an apprenticeship job itself: it is a free support programme that prepares you to win one, and your travel is covered.

What you get:

• A free place: the Sutton Trust says its programmes are completely free to attend, and the travel cost for Access Apprenticeships is covered
• Three to five days of work experience with one of the Trust's corporate partners
• A personal mentor who supports you with your apprenticeship applications
• In-person and virtual insight days run by leading employers, covering what they look for in a candidate and the different levels of apprenticeship
• Skills sessions including mock interviews and practice applications
• A network of peers from across the country who are also interested in apprenticeships

What you'll do:

• Choose one track to apply to: Banking and Finance (London), Law (London), Engineering (Manchester) or Law (Manchester)
• Attend a launch event and up to three in-person events across the year, plus virtual sessions
• Take part in employer insight days, skills sessions and CV workshops
• Complete a work placement and meet current apprentices at the company

Key dates:

• Applications opened 1 September 2026
• Applications close 2 November 2026
• Decisions by the beginning of December 2026

More information:

• Full eligibility and programme FAQs on the Sutton Trust application support site
• You register your email first, then receive an email inviting you to complete the full application
• A teacher is asked to verify your academic record and background

• Must attend, and have always attended, a state-funded, non fee-paying school or college
• Must be in Year 12 (England and Wales), Year 13 (Northern Ireland) or S5 (Scotland) at the start of the programme
• Live within 90 minutes of London for Banking and Finance or Law, or of Manchester for Engineering or Law
• You can apply to only one of Access Apprenticeships or Pathways to the Professions, and cannot be on another Sutton Trust programme
• Preferred: at least five GCSEs at grades 9 to 6 (or A* to B), including English and Maths
• Preferred: first generation in your family to get a degree, Free School Meals eligibility, care experience, or a school or neighbourhood with low progression to higher education
• Not meeting all the preferred criteria does not disqualify you; the more you meet, the more likely you are to get a place