Apprenticeships allow individuals to gain qualifications and experience while working in paid employment. They are a great choice for people who benefit from more hands-on learning, have identified their ideal career or who want to change industries.
Apprenticeships also enable current employees to progress and stay in a company for longer by providing them with the right training and qualifications. There are different levels of apprenticeships, each offering a qualification equivalent to GCSEs, A Levels, degrees and masters.
For the duration of their apprenticeship, an apprentice will be employed with a salary, undertaking a mixture of practical training at your location with off-the-job training at one of our campuses or remotely.
The benefits, in brief:
Level: 2Equivalent to: 5 GCSEs 4-9*
Suitable for: Junior roles and anyone new to the industry
Purpose: Intermediate Apprenticeships offer an entrance to an industry, teaching apprentices the basic skills and knowledge needed to progress within a chosen career path
Example Job Roles: Engineering Operative, Accounts Assistant, Butcher, Adult Care Worker, Leisure Team Member
Level: 3Equivalent to: 2 A levels
Suitable for: Existing staff members and those who have completed a Level 2 apprenticeship
Purpose: Advanced Apprenticeships begin specialising, deepening existing knowledge of the industry, and developing skills and knowledge further
Example Job Roles: Software Developers, Chef de Parties, Electrical Engineers
Level: 4 and 5Equivalent to: Foundation degree
Suitable for: Senior roles and employees looking to progress
Purpose: Higher Apprenticeships provide more advanced knowledge and skill development that specialise and refine towards senior roles and industry applications
Example Job Roles: Apprentice Teachers, Lab Technicians, Project Managers
Level: 6 and 7Equivalent to: Bachelors or Masters degree
Suitable for: Specialist careers and senior roles
Purpose: Degree Apprenticeships usually involve undertaking an undergraduate or postgraduate qualification to gain senior positions with specialist skill sets
Example Job Roles: Accountant, Finance Analyst, Product Development Manager, Event Manager
You and your apprentice will be introduced to an industry skilled assessor. They will keep in contact with your apprentice on a regular basis throughout the apprenticeship, including monthly visits to your place of work. There will be an element of blended learning and they will support and guide your apprentice through the 20% off the job training and monitor their progress.
We have put together some information which we hope you will find useful. If your question isn’t answered below, please contact us and we will be happy to help.
Yes, you will need to pay an apprentice like any other member of your staff. Please see here for further details Gov National Minimum Wage.
Certain grants are available to some employers taking on an apprentice to help support with the payment of their wages. Details of these grants will be discussed with you prior to your recruitment of an apprentice.
You can advertise your apprenticeship as you would any job vacancy. If you need help creating an advert – we can do this for you. Once created we will advertise your apprenticeship vacancy on our website.
Absolutely. Once you have sent an enquiry to the college, you will be allocated a business development advisor. They will have experience in your sector and will be there to support you through the full recruitment process of your apprentice, including job descriptions.
This varies, but as a minimum an apprentice should work 30 hours a week, up to a maximum of 48 hours a week (40 hours for under 18s).
An apprentice spends 20% of their normal working hours in ‘off-the-job’ training – this can take place weekly, monthly or in one concentrated block of time. As an example, if an apprentice was working 35 hours a week, they would spend 7 hours a week on ‘off-the-job’ training.
The Apprenticeship Levy is a tax paid by employers that is used to help fund apprenticeship training.
Employers with an annual pay bill of more than £3 million pay the Apprenticeship Levy at a rate of 0.5% of their annual pay bill. Employers with connections to companies or charities for Employment Allowance purposes and who have a combined annual pay bill of more than £3 million, also pay the Apprenticeship Levy. The Levy is paid monthly.
Employers can get help with funding the cost of training and assessing apprentices. How much you are entitled to depends on whether or not you pay the Apprenticeship Levy.
An additional £1000 may be available to you – depending on certain circumstances. For more information regarding costs and funding, please visit gov.uk/employing-an-apprentice/get-funding
We hope to find you the right match for your job role but if the apprentice we place leaves, simply contact your allocated business development advisor to discuss options for a replacement. If you can’t find the details of your executive, you can contact the main team on 0113 284 6464.
We are proud to work with a wide range of leading employers across the region. We build strong relationships with our providers, assisting them in finding the best new talent. We value confidentiality and only publish details of our partners if given permission to do so.
Featured partners include:
