A Guide to Apprenticeships for Employers

The National Apprenticeship Service is responsible for Apprenticeships in England.

The National Apprenticeship Service – What we do

We provide a dedicated service to employers, offering free, impartial advice and support to those looking to recruit apprentices for the first time or expand their Apprenticeship programme.

For small and medium sized employers (under 250 employees), our specialist small business support team provides a responsive and customer focussed web and telephone service which offers a high quality, tailored experience to each employer.

For larger employers (250+ employees), our Employer Account Managers who are expert Apprenticeship advisers, offer dedicated and personalised support, responding to meet the employers needs around training and recruitment. We offer impartial advice on whole workforce development strategies which can include a direct grant arrangement. Our advisers support large employers to procure, promote and deliver the training they need in the way that works best for their business.

An Apprenticeship can help cultivate the skills to match the needs of your business.

What is an Apprenticeship?

An Apprenticeship is a way for young people and adult learners to earn while they learn in a real job, gaining a real qualification and a real future.

Hiring apprentices helps businesses to grow their own talent by developing a motivated, skilled and qualified workforce.

Apprenticeships are designed by organisations such as Sector Skills Councils working with business representatives from industry sectors to develop the course content, which is called an Apprenticeship framework. As they genuinely understand these business sectors, you can be confident that the framework will be relevant for your company.

Fact: Over 500,000 people started an Apprenticeship in 2012/13.

A typical framework includes:

– A nationally recognised vocational qualification

– Functional skills, such as working in teams, problem solving, literacy and numeracy, communication and working with new technology

– A technical certificate such as a BTEC or City & Guilds (relevant to the specific Apprenticeship)

– Personal learning and thinking skills

– Employee rights and responsibilities.

Most of the training is on-the-job at the employer’s premises, working with a mentor to learn job specific skills in the workplace.

Off-the-job training will depend on the occupational area, the training organisation and the requirements and wishes of the employer. This training may be delivered in the workplace or through ‘day or block release’ at premises away from the working environment.

The modular style of delivery enables the apprentice to achieve milestones throughout their Apprenticeship.

On completion of the Apprenticeship the apprentice must be able to undertake a full range of duties, in the range of circumstances appropriate to the job, confidently and competently to the standard set by the industry.

Employment is a fundamental part of an Apprenticeship. An apprentice must be employed in a job role with a productive purpose.

All Apprenticeship frameworks are linked to specific job roles or occupations. A training organisation or an awarding body will work closely with an employer to ensure that the Apprenticeship offered is the most appropriate for the individual’s job role, whilst reflecting individual employer and learner needs.

Who are Apprenticeships for?

Fact: Eight out of ten apprentices believe that their Apprenticeship has improved their ability to do their job, provided them with sector-relevant skills and knowledge, and improved their career prospects.Source: Evaluation of Apprenticeships – Learners BIS research paper May 2012

The focus of an Apprenticeship is about equipping individuals with the new skills and learning they need for their job roles and for future employment and progression.

Apprenticeships are for individuals undertaking a new job role, or if in an existing job role, for individuals that require significant new knowledge and skills.

Apprenticeships are open to all ages, although Government funding is prioritised towards young people, especially the 16 – 18 age group.

The duration of the Apprenticeship will depend on the ability of the individual apprentice, the framework being followed and your business needs.

– The minimum duration of the Apprenticeship for apprentices aged 16 – 18 is 12 months.

– For those apprentices aged 19 or over the Apprenticeship should also last at least 12 months, unless relevant prior learning can be evidenced. Where this is the case the Apprenticeship will not be less than 6 months.

These are designed to be minimum durations and Apprenticeships will often take considerably longer and should be based on the framework’s recommended duration.

Apprenticeships can last between 3 – 4 years especially if they are at a higher level or in certain sectors such as engineering.

How long will an Apprenticeship last?

Who is involved?

What do over 100,000 employers in 200,000 locations have in common? They employ apprentices to attract new talent, re-skill existing staff and tackle skill shortages.

1 The National Apprenticeship Service, part of the Skills Funding Agency, supports a partnership between the employer, training organisation and apprentice.

2The Skills Funding Agency has a network of quality assured contracted training organisations who are private training providers or colleges of further education who deliver Apprenticeship off-the-job training. Each training organisation is open to Ofsted inspections.

3 The employer will normally work with a training organisation who will support the delivery of the training programme, carry out the assessments and deliver the additional skills and knowledge training required to complete the framework, through an agreed training plan.

Apprenticeships are available at Intermediate, Advanced and Higher (degree) level, covering more than 170 industries and 1500 job roles, from advertising to youth work via environmental engineering and nuclear decommissioning.

– Intermediate Level Apprenticeship (Level 2) – equivalent to five A*–C GCSEs

– Advanced Level Apprenticeship (Level 3) – equivalent to two A Levels

– Higher Apprenticeship (Level 4 and above) – degree level

Apprenticeships are available to businesses of all sizes and sectors in England.

Types and levels of Apprenticeships

Apprenticeships deliver for employers of all sizes –The facts

82%Building skills 82% of employers take on apprentices to build the skills capacity within their businesses.

75%Lower recruitment costs 75% of apprentice employers say the programme has helped cut recruitment costs. 80% say that Apprenticeships will play a bigger part in their future recruitment policy.

80%Reduced staff turnover 80% of employers feel that Apprenticeships reduce staff turnover.

Sources: 2011 British Chambers of Commerce, Populus research commissioned by the National Apprenticeship Service and Productivity Matters, Centre for Economic and Business Research, 2013.

88%Increased employee satisfaction 88% of apprentice employers believe they lead to a more motivated and satisfied workforce, leading to greater loyalty and quality of work.

81%Greater productivity 81% of apprentice employers say they make their businesses more productive. The average Apprenticeship completer increases business productivity by £214 per week.

81%Attractive to customers 81% of consumers favour companies that employ apprentices.

Funding is available towards the training costs of an Apprenticeship.

What funding is available to an employer towards training costs?

Fact: Nearly half (47%) of Apprenticeship employers have recommended Apprenticeships to other employers. Source: Evaluation of Apprenticeships – Employers BIS research paper May 2012

The size of the contribution varies depending on your sector and the age of the apprentice at the start of the training.

This is paid directly to the organisation that provides and supports the Apprenticeship training; in most cases this will be a training organisation. Large employers with a direct contract with the National Apprenticeship Service may receive the funding themselves and deliver aspects of the Apprenticeship training.

Employers are responsible for paying their apprentice(s) wages.

AGE 16 to 24 is a £1,500 grant (per apprentice) to support the recruitment of apprentices by a business that employs up to 1000 employees and has not employed an apprentice in the last 12 months.

Apprenticeship Grant for Employers of 16 to 24 year olds (AGE 16 to 24)

An employer, working with an approved Government funded training organisation, can recruit up to ten apprentices.

An Apprenticeship Adviser from the National Apprenticeship Service will give the employer advice and offer them information about the relevant training organisations available. This could be a local college or private training provider.

The training organisation will:

– Describe the elements of the Apprenticeship programme and the AGE 16 to 24 offer

– Complete the paperwork

– Support the employer to recruit the apprentice(s) via Apprenticeship vacancies, the job site for Apprenticeships

– Claim the grant on behalf of the employer 13 weeks after the apprentice starts the training

– Support the employer and apprentice(s) throughout their Apprenticeship.

For more information on AGE 16 to 24 visit apprenticeships.org.uk/AGE

Fact: 88% of employers were satisfied and 69% very satisfied, with the relevance of the training. Source: Evaluation of Apprenticeships – Employers BIS research paper May 2012

88%

69%

As the employer you must give your apprentice an induction into their role and provide on-the- job training. You are responsible for paying your apprentice’s wages and issuing their Contract of Employment. As an employee, the apprentice receives the same rights as other employees.

What are the employer responsibilities?

Apprentices must be paid at least the Apprenticeship National Minimum Wage. Apprentices who are under 19, or who are over 19 and in the first year of their Apprenticeship, will be paid a minimum of £2.68 per hour, however many businesses pay more. Individuals not falling into these categories should be paid the National Minimum Wage rate for their age band.

The minimum hours of employment for an apprentice should be at least 30 hours per week. By exception, where the individual’s circumstances or the particular nature of employment in a given sector makes this impossible, then an absolute minimum of 16 hours must be met. In such cases the duration of the Apprenticeship should be extended.

All apprentices commencing their Apprenticeship on or after 6 April 2012 must have an Apprenticeship Agreement between the employer and the apprentice. The agreement must state that the apprentice will be undertaking an Apprenticeship in a particular skill, trade or occupation and can be used to reinforce the understanding of the requirements of the Apprenticeship.

Apprenticeship vacancies, the job site for Apprenticeships, is a website which enables you to advertise your Apprenticeship vacancies for free and find candidates who match your criteria.

How do I recruit an apprentice?

Apprenticeship vacancies enables you to find the perfect match for each Apprenticeship vacancy you advertise. Over 1.6 million applications were made online in 2013.

Looking to recruit? Find your perfect match at Apprenticeship vacancies. apprenticeships.org.uk

This not only saves a significant amount of money but is also a convenient way to manage the recruitment process in one place. Your training organisation will work with you through the process to place your vacancy, manage the applications and help you to select your chosen candidate.

Fact: Up to 20,000 quality Apprenticeship vacancies are available online at any one time at apprenticeships.org.uk

Three simple steps

The National Apprenticeship Service is here to support employers and has made it easier than ever to employ an apprentice.

Our dedicated employer teams are on hand to guide you through the simple three-step process to hiring an apprentice.

There has never been a better time to employ an apprentice.

Visit apprenticeships.org.uk or call 08000 150 600.

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Decide on your requirements with an Apprenticeship Adviser and drive recruitment through our free Apprenticeship vacancies service.

Deliver the Apprenticeship, working with a training organisation to reduce the burden on your business.

Develop your apprentice and enter them into awards and competitions to put your business on the map.

For more information visit apprenticeships.org.ukor call us now on 08000 150 600

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© National Apprenticeship Service 2013 Published by the National Apprenticeship Service Extracts from this publication may be reproduced for non-commercial educational or training purposes on condition that the source is acknowledged and the findings not misrepresented. apprenticeships.org.uk NAS-P-100080