Employ an Apprentice FAQS

Apprenticeships refer to on-the-job training leading to nationally recognised qualifications, developed by industry. Apprenticeships combine practical training in a job with study. An apprentice: • Works alongside experienced staff • Gains job-specific skills • Earns a wage • Studies towards a related qualification (usually 1 day a week)

By taking on an Apprentice, or supporting your existing staff onto an Apprenticeship, you can deliver real returns to your bottom line. This achieved via increased productivity, enhanced competitiveness, and lower overall training & recruitment costs. There are also a number of grants available if your business takes on an apprentice in Manchester, making it even more cost effective. • Gain skilled qualified staff in a cost effective way • Improve your bottom line • Ensure that your staff have up to date training and qualifications • Stay up to date with industry standards • Address skills gaps • Motivate your workforce with young enthusiastic staff • Increase productivity

We can make this an easy process for you. We run a free advisory and recruitment service that will identify your needs. We will source and recruit suitable candidates for you to interview and select. We then find a suitable training provider to conduct the training.

You can employ as many as you need, there is no limit, however, it is important to bear in mind that Apprentices require support and mentoring, If you take a group of apprentices we may be able arrange a training provider to run on-site training.

• Anyone in England can apply for an apprenticeship if they’re: • 16 or over • Eligible to work in England • Not in full-time education

The length of an Apprenticeship varies depending on prior skills levels of the apprentice, the qualification being obtained and industry sector. Generally, Apprenticeships take between one and four years to complete. The majority of our Apprenticeships take 12 months.

There are 3 levels in England: • Intermediate – equivalent to 5 GCSE passes • Advanced – equivalent to 2 A level passes • Higher – lead to NVQ Level 4 and above or a Foundation Degree

• National Vocational Qualifications (NVQs) at Level 2,3,4 or 5 • Functional Skills qualifications, e.g. in maths, English or ICT • A technical certificate, such as a BTEC or City & Guilds Progression Award • Knowledge-based qualifications, such as a Higher National Certificate (HNC), a Higher National Diploma (HND) or a Foundation Degree

An Apprenticeship includes the following components: • A knowledge based element. • A competence based element. • Transferable or Functional Skills. • A module on employee rights and responsibilities. • A module on personal learning and thinking skills

You will be expected to provide a supervisor to support the apprentice, regularly assess and report on their progress, and highlight any issues and actions. You must provide a structured induction within the first week and develop an Individual Learning Plan. You will need to work with our assessors to ensure the apprentice has all the support they need, this is important as the better the support, the more you will gain from your apprentice.

From 1st October 2015 Apprentice Minimum wage is £3.30 per hour. This rate is for apprentices aged 16 to 18 and those aged 19 or over who are in their first year. All other apprentices are entitled to the National Minimum Wage for their age. Typically 100% of training costs is free for 16-18 year olds and 50% of training costs is free for 19-24 year olds, but in some cases we will be able to negotiate full free training for 19+ Apprentices.