Why Forge Up
A future, not a backup plan
Built for young people who want a real career in the trades — with the money, the qualifications, and the progression mapped out from the start.
Earn from day one
£0 debt
Skip tuition fees. Start a paid apprenticeship and stack qualifications while you work.
Real demand
Skilled trades
Bricklaying to HVAC — every trade with live salary ranges and apprenticeship demand.
Find your match
3 questions
A quick quiz maps you to specific trades and the apprenticeships you can apply for today.
Stories
Real apprentices, real pathways
The Only Girl on Site — and Loving It
When I told people I wanted to be a plumber, half of them laughed. I get the last laugh: I'm two years into my apprenticeship, fitting heat pumps and boilers, and the demand for what I do is only going up. Yes, I'm often the only woman on site. But the work speaks for itself, and more girls are coming through every year. If you're good with your hands and want a career that pays and matters, don't let anyone talk you out of it.
Welding Took Me Around the World
I was into metalwork at school and figured welding might lead somewhere. I didn't expect it to take me to oil rigs, shipyards and a six-month contract abroad before I turned 21. A coded welding qualification is recognised everywhere, and a good welder is never short of work. The apprenticeship route meant I earned while I trained and came out with no debt and a trade I can take anywhere.
From a Quick Quiz to a Career I Love
Honestly, I only took the 'Find Your Trade' quiz to kill ten minutes. It matched me to carpentry, which I'd never even considered. On a whim I looked up apprenticeships nearby and applied. Two years later I'm doing first and second fix on new builds, working towards my Level 3, and genuinely looking forward to Mondays. Sometimes the thing you're meant to do is one you've never thought about — it's worth exploring.