information
for Employers

If you already take on apprentices or have other good opportunities for school and college leavers, apply now for a listing on this website.

If you can't find the skilled people you need for your business, then an apprentice might be the answer.
Scroll down to learn more.

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Apprenticeship Fundamentals

An apprenticeship is a mix of work and structured off-the-job training. Apprenticeships are open to all ages, graduates and non-graduates and even existing employees looking to gain new skills to climb to the next step on the career ladder.

Apprenticeships go up to Masters' Degree Level and can include professional or chartered status. Essentially, it is a long-term investment, enabling employers to grow their own talented staff, on-the-job. This means your employees understand your business methods and processes, but have the time to reflect on their practice, learn new theories and bring new ideas into your organisation so you stay competitive and grow.

Apprentice's wages and contracts

Employers must pay the apprentice whilst working and training. The apprentice minimum wage is £6.40 an hour (From April 2024) only for those under 18 or on the first year of their apprenticeship. Otherwise, normal minimum pay rates apply. But the higher you pay the more likely you'll have a choice of high-quality candidates.

If you don't want to take on the employer's role, there are 'flexi' apprenticeships where you hire an apprentice on a weekly basis through a specialist agency. Read more about this here. Managed Apprenticeship Service

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Cost of training

Large companies pay the apprenticeship levy and access these funds to pay for all the training. If you have a payroll of less than £3 million per annum then you may have to contribute 5% of the training costs. (This 5% contribution ranges from £125 to £1,350 and is paid in instalments over the length of the apprenticeship programme.) Alternatively, you can ask a levy payer, that has spare funds, to pay the cost of your training! Get in touch if you want more details on how to do this.

Either way,  you will receive bespoke training and industry recognised qualifications for your staff at a fraction of the price you might be paying at full-cost.

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Time in training

The apprentice must be released for training for at least 20% of their paid time. You can agree with the training provider how this time is structured. Training may be provided at the business premises. You or your staff will need to show an apprentice how to do their day job, which does take time, and should be planned for.

Financial Incentives

There are financial incentives for employing young people. Currently, all businesses receive £1,000 in two instalments for successfully employing a 16-18 year old apprentice and, if they employ less than 50 people, they do not have to pay any of the training costs for these apprentices.

There are no employer national insurance contributions for apprentices that are under 25 years old - this means a significant saving if you are employing an apprentice on £18,000 pa or more.

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Social Impact

Remember - it's not just about good business sense.

By taking on an apprentice you are giving someone an opportunity to develop too. For more information on how to employ an apprentice visit gov.uk

Visit gov.uk