I've Finished My Apprenticeship: Now What Do I Do?

‍‌​‌‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​​​‍# 15.1, I’ve finished my apprenticeship, now what?

You’ve done your time, passed your assessments and got the bit of paper. Now the real game starts: getting paid properly, keeping the work coming and not tripping over paperwork.

This page walks you through what usually happens next, what your options are, and the mistakes to dodge in your first six months out of your time.

1. What most people actually do after qualifying

In construction, you’re not weird if you stay where you are – you’re normal.

Most completers stay in work Across UK apprenticeships, around 9 in 10 who complete are in work soon after. Construction is even stickier – almost all completers end up in a job of some sort.

Just over half stay with the same firm One big study of apprenticeship outcomes found a bit over half of completers stayed with their training employer; the rest moved, mostly into similar jobs with different firms.

A decent chunk go self‑employed quite early Construction has a much higher share of completers going self‑employed than other sectors – roughly 1 in 6. That makes sense in a trade where about 37% of the workforce is self‑employed overall.

So your realistic main options in the first year are:

• Stay with your current employer, but on qualified money and responsibilities.
• Move to another company (maybe better pay, different type of work, closer to home).
• Go self‑employed or CIS with one or two regular contractors.

The smart play for most people is: get a year or two as a fully qualified worker under your belt before you go fully on your own. But if you’ve got contacts lined up and a buffer, going earlier can work.

2. Your “day‑one out of time” checklist

Once you’ve passed, there are a few boring but important jobs to do so you don’t get stuck at the gate or in trouble with tax.

2.1 CSCS and site access

If you work on sites or might in future:

Upgrade to a blue Skilled Worker CSCS card

• You qualify if you’ve got an NVQ or SVQ Level 2 in your trade.
• You still need a valid CITB Health, Safety and Environment test.
• The blue card proves you’re a skilled worker, not just a labourer or trainee and lasts 5 years before renewal.

Action list:

• As soon as you get your certificate, book your CITB test (if needed).
• Apply for the blue CSCS Skilled Worker card and set a reminder for the expiry date.

2.2 If you go self‑employed / CIS

If you decide to go out on your own (or your new “employer” puts you on CIS):

• Register with HMRC as self‑employed.
• Register under the Construction Industry Scheme (CIS) if you’re being paid as a subcontractor so tax is deducted correctly.
• Open a separate bank account for business money (doesn’t need to be a fancy “business” account, just not your personal spending pot).

This is the stuff that comes back to bite people 18 months later when the first proper tax bill lands.

2.3 Insurance and trade add‑ons

If you’re doing your own jobs, even evenings and weekends:

• Public liability insurance – covers you if you damage someone’s property or they claim for injury linked to your work. Many bigger customers and letting agents insist on it.
• For some trades, start collecting manufacturer accreditations (e.g. boiler brands for gas engineers, system accreditations for roofers, certain kit for electricians). These usually come later, but get them on your radar early.

3. Choosing your next step: stay, move, or go on your own

3.1 Staying with your current employer

Pros:

• You know the people, they know you.
• You should move onto a proper qualified rate.
• You get a bit of breathing space to learn as a fully qualified worker before you carry all the risk.

Risks:

• Some firms quietly leave people on apprentice‑ish money.
• You can get stuck doing the same narrow tasks and not build your full skillset.

What to do in your first “I’ve passed” meeting:

Ask straight:

• “What’s my new rate now I’m qualified?”
• “What kind of jobs do you see me taking on this year?”
• “Is there any extra training you’d support?”

Most data shows completers have a higher chance of promotion and better pay than non‑completers, but you usually have to push for it.

3.2 Moving to a new employer

Reasons to move:

• Better rate.
• Different type of work (more domestic, more commercial, more renewables, etc).
• Closer to home or more stable hours.

If you move, you’re still “newly qualified”, so:

• Use your apprenticeship logbook/portfolio to show what you can actually do.
• Be honest about what you’re comfortable doing alone and what you’d still like support on for a bit.

3.3 Going self‑employed early

Reality check:

Industry‑wide, going self‑employed is normal at some point – that 37% self‑employed share is huge compared to many sectors.

Doing it in year one can work if:

• You have regular work lined up (e.g. a builder who’ll feed you jobs).
• You’ve got a small savings buffer.
• You’re willing to learn the business side quickly.

If you’ve got none of that and you’re just “sick of the boss”, you’re rolling the dice.

4. The most common mistakes in the first 6 months

This is the stuff that makes or breaks people early on. None of it is about how good you are with your hands – it’s all around the edges.

4.1 Letting your card and admin slide

• Not upgrading to a blue CSCS card and then being turned away at a gate when the old one expires or isn’t accepted for skilled work.
• Not updating your details with your training provider / awarding body so replacement certificates are a pain later.

Fix: Treat your CSCS card like your passport: keep it valid, keep it safe.

4.2 Ignoring tax and paperwork

• Not registering as self‑employed or for CIS in time.
• Not keeping receipts or mileage records.
• Not putting any money aside for tax and NI.

By the time HMRC’s first proper bill hits, you’re often looking at a full year’s tax plus payments on account, which can be a nasty surprise.

Fix:

• From your first self‑employed pound, put 20–30% into a tax pot.
• Keep a simple spreadsheet or cheap app and log everything once a week.

4.3 Pricing like an employee

Very common pattern:

You take your old day’s pay as an apprentice, add a bit, and think that’s a decent rate. You forget:

• Van and fuel.
• Insurance.
• Tools, broken kit, replacements.
• Unpaid time: quotes, travel, gaps between jobs, holidays, sick days.
• Tax and NI.

End result: you work a lot of hours for not a lot of take‑home.

Fix: Even if you stay employed now, start learning how to build a proper day rate so you’re ready when you do go on your own.

4.4 Jumping too fast with no buffer

CITB‑funded projects and sector research keep flagging that poor planning and cashflow are big causes of people dropping out or businesses failing early.

Typical story:

• You leave a steady job.
• You have 2–3 busy months.
• Then it goes quiet and you’ve got no savings, no pipeline and rent due.

Fix: If you’re thinking of going self‑employed, try to:

• Build a small savings buffer while still employed.
• Line up at least one regular builder/landlord/agent who will feed you work.

4.5 Not pushing your own progression

You’ve just hit a big milestone. The next steps don’t just appear; you have to drive them.

Common mistakes:

• Not asking for a rate review once you’re signed off.
• Continuing to see yourself as “the apprentice”, so you don’t push to lead jobs you could handle.
• Not looking at the next qualification or card (e.g. NVQ3, extra tickets relevant to your trade).

Fix: Treat the six months after qualifying as your “upgrade window” – card, rate, responsibilities, skills.

5. A simple plan for your first 3 months out of time

Month 1: Sort your status

• Upgrade to blue CSCS Skilled Worker (if you work on sites).
• Get copies of all certificates stored somewhere safe (and digital).
• If self‑employed/CIS: register with HMRC, open a separate account, start a basic record‑keeping system.

Month 2: Fix your money and work

• Sit down with your current boss and agree your qualified rate and role.
• Or, if moving, line up your next employer before you walk.
• If going self‑employed, work out a realistic day rate based on your costs, not just “what others charge”.

Month 3: Start thinking 1–2 years ahead

• Decide your likely path: stay employed for a couple of years, go self‑employed sooner, or mix (employed plus private jobs).
• Note any extra tickets or training that will make you more valuable (e.g. inspection/testing, renewables, specific system training).
• Start quietly building your own reputation – good work, photos, happy customers, even if you’re still employed.

You don’t need to nail your whole career in the first six months. Your only real job is: keep working, keep learning, and don’t let admin and money mistakes wipe out everything you’ve just grafted for.

What to do next

• Read: 15.2 – Stay employed or go self-employed? The honest comparison
• Read: 15.3 – Going self-employed straight out of college · realistic or stupid?
• Read: 15.7 – Setting up properly · the stuff your college didn't cover
• Read: S7 – Self-employed vs employed (the HMRC status angle)
• Read: 14.2 – How to price your first job without underselling yourself
• Download: First 30 days after apprenticeship checklist (once live in Doc Hub)
• Use: Employment Status Checker – if your new “self-employed” arrangement feels a lot like employment

Sources (UK)

• DfE Apprenticeship Outcomes data – completion rates, employment outcomes, proportion staying with training employer.
• ONS Labour Force Survey – 37% self-employment rate in UK construction.
• CITB Construction Skills Network – sector workforce data, apprenticeship completion and progression.
• CSCS card requirements – blue Skilled Worker card eligibility (NVQ2 + CITB HS&E test).
• HMRC guidance – Self Assessment registration, CIS registration requirements.

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