Developed by Prospect, the union for professionals, the App offers information and guidance on everything related to apprenticeships, from finding out about a particular role to applying for a job, minimum rates of pay and what should be covered in an apprenticeship contract.

Sue Ferns, Prospect's Director of Communications and Research, said: "As the union that represents engineers, scientists, managers and specialists across a range of sectors, one call that is common to all is the fear that we are rushing into a skills crisis in the UK.

"With the traditional university model no longer available to many, given rising tuition fees, apprenticeships can provide an excellent training opportunity combining both theoretical education with hands-on experience.

"This new resource is aimed at not only those considering an apprenticeship, but those already undertaking one and their parents or guardians, as well as employers involved in managing, designing or operating a scheme in their workplaces."

The App, available initially for android phones, enables you to search for apprenticeship vacancies from the largest collection in the UK available via App because it searches both the National Apprenticeship Service and Not Going to Uni – a website dedicated to helping school and college leavers make informed decisions about their future.

It enables searches by sector or location, allows you to save your favourite results and offers guidance and a checklist of things to consider. Within three scrolls of the screen you can find out:

• who qualifies for an apprenticeship and how to get started
• how to progress both within an apprenticeship and beyond
• what happens if things go wrong.

While much of the guidance is specifically related to England, it also links to information and signposts vacancies in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.

You can view the App here.

Find it on facebook by searching for 'apprenticeship jobs guide' or download it from the Google Play store.

*iPhone app under development.