Apprenticeship and learnership are entirely different concepts despite

both being rooted on the principle of practical on-the-job-training.

Apprenticeship is supplemented by theoretical instructions as it usually
involves advanced technologies.1 Learnership however, often used in semi-
skilled industries, need not have theoretical training.2
It must be noted however that the employer is obliged to hire the
learner after the lapse of the learnership period. 3 No similar obligation is
imposed for apprenticeship agreements despite having a longer duration of
training of more than 3 months but not over 6 months, as opposed to the
duration of training for learnership agreements which is capped at 3
months.
An approval from TESDA must first be procured before hiring an
Apprentice or a Learner because they can be paid for as low as 75% of the
minimum wage mandated by law.

1
Art 59 Labor Code of the Philippine, PD 442, as amended and §2, Rule VI, Book 2, Omnibus Rules Implementing the Labor Code.
2
Article 74, Labor Code and § 2 Rule VII Book 2, Omnibus Rules Implementing the Labor Code.
3
§ 3, TESDA Circular No 16 series of 2004 and DOLE Circular No 2 Series of 2006.