Copy editor apprenticeships

Creative and media

Copy editor apprenticeships - where to start

You can get into this job through

a university course

an apprenticeship

working towards this role

specialist training courses with professional bodies

a graduate training scheme

University

Many copy editors have a degree. Most subjects are accepted. A degree in publishing, media, English or a related subject may improve your chances of finding work. To work in a specialist area, employers will prefer you to have a subject-related degree.

You'll usually need 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English and 2 to 3 A-Levels, or equivalent, for a degree.

Apprenticeship

You can work towards this role through a Level 3 apprenticeship as a publishing assistant. Employers will set their own entry requirements.

Work

You could start as an editorial assistant in a publishing company and build up your experience of proofreading and text editing. This would also allow you to build a portfolio of work, to showcase your skills to potential employers.

Other Routes

You could take a proofreading or editing course, like the ones offered by the The Publishing Training Centre or the Society for Editors and Proofreaders. Some publishing houses run graduate training schemes and internships. Employers will often expect you to have some experience in the publishing industry. You could get experience in the publishing industry from: job shadowing editing and proofreading student magazines and websites admin work in a publishing company.

Professional and industry bodies

You could join a professional organisation like The Society for Editors and Proofreaders (SfEP).

Copy editor apprenticeships - what it takes

Skills and knowledge

You'll need:

knowledge of English language
knowledge of media production and communication
the ability to read English
excellent verbal communication skills
to be thorough and pay attention to detail
excellent written communication skills
the ability to work well with others
to be flexible and open to change
to be able to use a computer and the main software packages competently

Copy editor apprenticeships - what you'll do

Day-to-day tasks

Your day-to-day duties might include:

correcting spelling, grammar and punctuation errors
checking the length of the text fits in with publisher requirements
making sure the text is in the right style
making sure the meaning of the text is clear
checking that references are quoted correctly and pictures have the right
captions checking for legal issues, like libel or breach of copyright
talking to the author about queries or revisions

Working environment

You could work in an office or from home.

Career path and progression - Copy editor apprenticeships

You could become a features writer, chief sub-editor or production editor. Some sub-editors go freelance.

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Considering an Apprenticeship?

There are lots of benefits to apprenticeships, here are our top 5:

Paid Training
Not only will your organisation (or the Government) pay for all of your training, but you’ll be paid to do it. That means you could actually get paid to get your degree and have no debt!
Range of career opportunities
There are over 625 different apprenticeships to choose from, in a range of industries. Whether you’re interested in law, marketing, construction or engineering, you’ll find something up your street!
Earn & learn
As an apprentice, the minimum you’ll earn is £6.20 an hour, but we’ve seen apprentices earn a starting salary of up to £30,000 a year! You could also get other employee benefits like gym memberships, paid holiday and sick pay.
Great career prospects
Employers think apprentices are 15% more employable than those with other qualifications. In fact, many large employers train their graduates and apprentices together!
Learn on the job
There’s only so much you can learn when you just do a qualification. As an apprentice, you’ll also get to learn on the job - whether that’s designing amazing graphics, chopping vegetables or building engines!

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