Buying guide · Starting out
Every September a wave of first-years turns up to site, workshop and kitchen in kit bought hopefully the weekend before — some of it wrong, some of it wasted, some of it stuff the employer was legally obliged to provide anyway. Here's the honest split: what to buy, what to wait for, and where the budget goes first.
The legal split
Clear the biggest confusion first: PPE that a risk assessment requires must be provided free by the employer — hard hats, required hi-vis, task gloves, eye and hearing protection, FR, and in most cases safety footwear where it's mandated. The full position is in who pays for PPE. What apprentices genuinely end up buying is the workwear around it: trousers, tees, mid-layers, and often a first pair of boots before the employer's arrangements kick in.
So before spending: ask the employer or training provider for the kit list. A good one tells you exactly what's issued and what's yours. The list below covers the near-universal personal buys.
The list
| Priority | Item | Buying note |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Safety boots — S1P or S3 | The item worth real money: your feet do every shift — the codes decoded |
| 2 | Work trousers with knee-pad pockets | Two pairs minimum for rotation — the trousers guide |
| 3 | Tees / polos ×4–5 | Cheap, rotated, ruined without tears — see the quantity maths |
| 4 | Mid-layer + waterproof | One hoodie or fleece, one packable shell — the jacket logic |
| 5 | Basics kit | General-purpose gloves, beanie, decent socks — comfort is stamina |
Don't buy yet
Questions
No — PPE required by the risk assessment must be provided free of charge by the employer, apprentice or not. What apprentices commonly do buy is general workwear (trousers, tees, layers) and sometimes a first pair of safety boots before employer arrangements kick in. Ask for the kit list before spending anything.
A well-fitting S1P or S3 boot from a reputable maker — S3 if the work is outdoors in mud, S1P often suffices indoors. Fit beats features: try them on late in the day, walk properly, and spend what you can afford here rather than on logo tees. Your feet do every shift of a forty-year career.
A sensible day-one bundle — boots, two work trousers, four or five tees, a mid-layer, a waterproof and basics — is typically low hundreds of pounds, with boots rightly the biggest single line. Buy the cheap items cheap and the boots good; upgrade everything else as the trade teaches you what it eats.
Everything in these guides is stocked, embroiderable and priced for teams.