Public sector jobs for school leavers

As a school leaver you can get into the public sector through an apprenticeship or through an entry-level job such as healthcare support worker, administrative assistant, school support roles or customer service work in a council. In England you have to stay in some form of education or training until 18, and an apprenticeship counts, as does a job combined with part-time study. Some public jobs, including police officer and firefighter, have minimum ages that rule out most school leavers for a year or two.

The rules on leaving school

In England you can leave school at the end of the summer term if you will be 16 by the end of the summer holidays, but you must then stay in education or training until 18. That can be full-time study at school or college, an apprenticeship, or working or volunteering while doing part-time education or training. A public sector apprenticeship meets the requirement on its own.

In Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland you can leave education at 16 without the same duty, though apprenticeship and training programmes there are open to school leavers too.

Apprenticeships

An apprenticeship is a paid job with training, usually a day a week or a block of time with a college or training provider, leading to a recognised qualification. Public sector employers are among the biggest users in the country. Common school-leaver apprenticeships include business administration, customer service, healthcare support, pharmacy services, IT support, facilities, catering and teaching assistant.

In England, apprenticeship vacancies are listed on the government’s Find an apprenticeship service, as well as on NHS Jobs, Civil Service Jobs and council websites. Scotland calls them Modern Apprenticeships, and Wales and Northern Ireland run their own programmes.

Our guides to public sector apprenticeships, NHS apprenticeships and Civil Service apprenticeships go into each sector in more detail.

Entry-level jobs without an apprenticeship

You can also apply directly for jobs that have no qualification requirement beyond basic literacy and numeracy. Typical ones are:

• healthcare support worker or ward housekeeper in the NHS
• administrative assistant, receptionist or customer service adviser in a council or NHS trust
• lunchtime supervisor, cleaner or kitchen assistant in a school
• administrative assistant or administrative officer in the Civil Service
• leisure assistant, waste services or park staff in local government

These jobs are paid on the employer’s normal pay scale. Many people use them as a first step and then move into an apprenticeship or training post with the same employer. NHS jobs you can get without a degree lists the NHS options, and current vacancies in support roles are on our healthcare support jobs page.

What you will be paid

Legal minimum rates depend on your age and on whether you are an apprentice. Many public sector employers pay more than the minimum, especially for jobs on a national pay scale.

Rate from 1 April 2026	Hourly
National Living Wage (21 and over)	£12.71
Age 18 to 20	£10.85
Under 18	£8.00
Apprentice (under 19, or 19 and over in the first year)	£8.00

The national pay scales are not age-related. A school leaver in a band 2 NHS job in England earns the same as an older colleague: £25,272 a year full-time from 1 April 2026. The bottom point on the NJC pay spine used by councils and school support staff in England, Wales and Northern Ireland is £25,614 full-time. Part-time and term-time posts pay a share of that.

Apprentice pay varies more. Some NHS trusts and councils pay apprentices on the pay scale, others pay a set apprentice rate. The advert should say. If it only quotes “apprentice wage”, ask what the actual hourly rate will be. Our guide to the National Living Wage and minimum wage rates has the full detail.

On a first job you may see tax deducted on an emergency code for a month or two. HMRC corrects it once your new employer has your details.

Age limits

Most public sector employers will take you on from 16, but some roles have higher minimum ages.

Police forces will not appoint a constable under 18, though some let you apply a little before your 18th birthday. Fire and rescue services also set a minimum age, usually 18, for firefighter roles. Jobs that involve driving a work vehicle often need a full licence held for a set period, which effectively rules out younger applicants. Some NHS clinical roles set a minimum age because of the nature of the work, such as night shifts or certain patient care, and this varies by trust. Under-18s also have stricter legal limits on working hours, breaks and night work than adults, which affects shift-based jobs.

The armed forces take applications from younger people than most public employers, with parental consent needed for under-18s.

If an advert does not mention an age requirement and you are unsure whether you qualify, ask the recruitment contact.

Applying with little or no work history

Public sector application forms ask for employment history, references and a supporting statement against the person specification. With no work history, use school, college, volunteering, part-time work and responsibilities at home as your evidence. A school prefect role, a Saturday job or caring for a relative all show reliability and how you deal with people.

Most employers accept a reference from a teacher, tutor or head of sixth form when you have not had a job. Ask them before you put their name down.

Many entry-level posts in schools and hospitals need a DBS check before you start, and the employer arranges it.

Where to look

Start with the Find an apprenticeship service, NHS Jobs, Civil Service Jobs, Teaching Vacancies for school support posts and your local council’s jobs pages. The Health Careers site lists NHS roles open to school leavers, and the National Careers Service can help you match your interests to jobs.