Employing an apprentice
Invest in success...
Apprenticeships allow employees to 'learn while they earn' – but for an employer, the combination of around 80 per cent on-the-job experience and 20 per cent off-the-job training delivers a workforce with the right blend of enthusiasm, practical experience, and up-to-date skills. Smaller employers benefit from government funding towards training costs, while larger businesses receive a yearly levy allowance which can be used to employ new apprentices and upskill current staff.
Available at various levels, apprenticeships are ideal for recruiting new talent into your team, or upskilling your existing employees at any point in their career. Our Employer Engagement team can talk you through every step of the process.
Our commitments to you
1)
Guaranteed rapid response from our team with a dedicated Key Account Manager to support you one-to-one.
2)
Flexible training and ongoing support, working with you to understand your strategic requirements and development plans.
3)
Advertising of your apprenticeship job vacancies – free of charge – and support with recruitment.
“To ensure our staff are progressing, the College provides regular progress updates and review meetings and they actively participate in our assessment centres. We have staff regularly achieving their apprenticeship with very good support from the trainers at the College.”
Simon Wardley, Apprenticeship Facilitator, NHS South West Yorkshire Partnership Foundation Trust
Funding an apprenticeship
Businesses with a wage bill of £3m or above must pay the Apprenticeship Levy. The levy is 0.5 per cent of the employer’s annual pay bill, with a levy allowance that reduces the amount paid by £15,000 per year. Businesses with a wage bill under £3million are required to pay five per cent towards the cost of training, with the government paying the remaining 95 per cent. Funding and incentives are frequently available to employers, such as those who employ apprentices aged 16 to 18. Apprentices are entitled to the National Minimum Wage which is currently £7.55 an hour.
Off-the-job training requirements
All apprenticeships must contain off-the-job training. Off-the-job training is undertaken outside of the normal day-to-day working environment. Training must be completed during working hours, but can be anything from lectures, webinars and assessment work to mentorship, shadowing or research. It must be relevant to the apprenticeship standard and not just normal day-to-day duties, but may be delivered in the workplace. The time spent on off-the-job training is calculated on the number of contracted employment hours across the whole apprenticeship.
Accessing the Digital Apprenticeship Service
Employers use the Digital Apprenticeship Service to access their levy funds and explore apprenticeship standards and training providers. Employers can use the service to create apprenticeship adverts, accept employer agreements with the Department for Education, and liaise with training providers. Businesses who don’t pay the levy will pay their five per cent contribution to their chosen training provider directly, but can use the service to reserve funding. This puts businesses in direct control of their training costs and how their apprentices meet their needs.
