Alexander McQueen – Apprentice Tailor
The legendary fashion designer started out his career as an apprentice. After leaving school at the age of 16 he was determined to have a career in fashion so went knocking on doors in Savile Row with the aim of securing an apprenticeship. His passion and dedication to the industry scored him an apprenticeship at Anderson & Sheppard which gave him a core skill set to become one of the world's most celebrated fashion designers.
Whilst serving his Apprenticeship, Alexander attended the Rosetta Art Centre, which gave him his reference that got him straight onto the MA Fashion course at Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design. Between 1996 and 2001 he went to work as Chief Designer at Givenchy before starting his own Alexander McQueen line which allowed him to dress King Charles, Victoria Beckham and Madonna. He won British Designer of the year four times and was awarded a CBE for services to the industry. Up until his tragic death in 2010 he designed some of the most elaborate gowns fore Lady Gaga, Kate Moss and Sarah Jessica Parker.
Clare Smyth– Apprentice Chef
A protégé of Gordon Ramsey, and the only woman to run a three Michelin star restaurant, Smyth moved to England from Northern Ireland to pursue her love of cooking. She became an apprentice at age 16 in Grayshott Hall, Surrey, this was followed by other apprenticeships in various restaurants across the capital, including one owned by Heston Blumenthal. In 2002 Gordon Ramsey offered Clare a position at Restaurant Gordon Ramsay. By 2007, she was head chef, and this was when she became the first female chef in the UK to run a restaurant with three Michelin stars. Clare eventually left there and worked for a year and a half in a restaurant in Monaco, and then came back to Ramsey’s to continue her head chef position. More recently in 2017, she opened her own restaurant, Core. A year later Core was named the Best Restaurant at the GQ Food & Drink Awards.
David Beckham – apprentice Footballer
David Beckham began his football career by doing an apprenticeship in the football Youth Training Scheme at Manchester United. After completing his apprenticeship, he was scouted and went on to play for Manchester United, Preston North End, Real Madrid, Milan, LA Galaxy, Paris Saint-Germain and the England national team.
Now, Beckham has an estimated net worth of £339million.
George Clarke - Apprentice Architect
Architect and presenter of ‘Restoration Man’, ‘Amazing Spaces’ and ‘Shed of the Year’, George Clarke began his career in architecture through an apprenticeship he was offered at the age of 16. Alongside his current successes as a TV personality, he also helps to run a scheme that pairs young people with few job prospects, with retired builders who are willing to train them. He has a BTEC in Building and Construction, a First Class BA Honours in Architectural Studies and a Certificate in Architectural Practice, and a post-grad diploma in Architecture. His Apprenticeship gave him a great kick-start to his Architecture education and career. He formed his own company with partner Bobby Desai and one of their clients included someone else who started their career as an apprentice, Jamie Oliver!
Jamie Oliver– Catering Apprentice
Jamie Oliver left school at 16 with just two GCSEs; one in Art, and one in Geology. His parents owned a pub, and he helped out in the kitchen from a young age. When he left school, he enrolled at the Westminster Technical College and gained an NVQ in Home Economics. Once he’d left there, he started Apprenticing at a number of restaurants around London – one of them being Antonio Carluccio’s. It was at this restaurant where he started learning about Italian cuisine. He also spent time in France studying methods of French cookery. The apprenticeships taught him many of the skills he needed to become a successful chef and he has since made many accomplishments such as his own TV shows and food range. In 2003 he was awarded an MBE for his services to the UK hospitality industry.
Jamie Oliver has always been a huge supporter of apprenticeships. In 2002, he opened his very first restaurant, Jamie Oliver's Fifteen which has trained more than 500 apprentices some of which have gone on to earn their own Michelin stars.
John Frieda
John Frieda got his start as a hairdressing apprentice in the late 1960’s, in the Salon of Leonard, which was owned by his father. This is where he developed as passion for everything about hair. His father mentored him and invested in his future. John quickly worked his way up, and in 1976, opened his first salon with fellow hairdresser Nicky Clarke. Two years later, he opened the first John Freida salon. Then, in 1988, he started selling his small hair-care product line in Boots. While he doesn’t cut hair anymore his product range line the shelves in many stores across the world. He sold this company for $360 million back in 2002, but he still has five salons – one in LA, two in New York and two in London. He does lots of charity work for places such as Great Ormond Street Hospital.
Sir Ian McKellen– Apprentice Actor
Ian McKellen developed an interest in the theatre at a very early age. He attended Cambridge, studying English, but in his time there he took part in 23 plays. After graduating he chose not to follow the traditional way into acting, by attending a drama school, he wanted to take a different route. Instead, he took an apprenticeship at the Belgrade Theatre in Coventry. During his three years there he performed multiple roles before he began auditioning for bigger parts and becoming one of the most celebrated actors in Britain. He has since gone on to be a noted member of the Royal Shakespeare Company. He is most well known for playing Gandalf in Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit, Magneto in X-Men and more recently, Mr.Holmes in Sherlock Holmes. Oh, and he was Knighted by Queen Elizabeth in 1991! He has a net worth of a £55 million.
Sir Alex Ferguson
Alex Ferguson started playing football at a young age but was of the thought that he should learn a trade just in case he wasn’t able to make it in football. As a result, after leaving school, he undertook an apprenticeship as a toolmaker in the shipyards in Glasgow. He said of his experience as an apprentice “it is only when you had the opportunity to have an apprenticeship did you realise the long-term benefit. Anyone who had that experience will have appreciated the skills they learned.”
Later he decided to follow his footballing dream and won more trophies than any other manager in the history of football. For this, he is considered one of the best managers of all time with a career that lasted for over 20 years.
He still stuck by his views on apprenticeships and, through success in the game, he set up an apprenticeship program of his own at Manchester United. Over the years he’s taken on apprentices such as Ryan Giggs and David Beckham
Ross Brawn OBE
Ross Brawn started his career as an apprentice. He completed a Mechanical Craft Apprenticeship at the Atomic Energy Research Establishment in Oxford, qualifying as an instrument mechanic. This qualification created the stepping stones for him to follow his passion, a dream career in racing. Using the knowledge he had gained during his apprenticeship he was employed by March Engineering, working on their Formula 3 team. He was ambitious and had his sights set on the top category, Formula One. He climbed through the ranks and ended up running some of the most successful teams in Formula One history. In 1991, he struck gold and was appointed the technical director of the Benetton Formula 1 team.
Karen Millen – Fashion Apprentice
Karen Millen’s career started off selling white t-shirts to her friends while at the same time as doing an apprenticeship in Fashion at the Medway College of Design in Rochester. In 1981 Karen and her business partner took out a loan of £100 to purchase 1000 metres of white cotton and began making and selling white shirts to their friends. This soon turned into a very successful fashion brand with her launching her own professional line designing some luxurious items of clothing. Her company had stores across the world including the UK, USA, Russia, Ireland, and Austria. When she sold her company in 2004, she had 130 stores, trading across 25 countries.
