I want an apprentice... but how?

Author
Lizzie Lyons
Head of Skills Delivery | Business West
4th February 2020

So, you’ve decided that an apprentice could bring great benefits to your business, but you may be asking, how on earth do we get ourselves an apprentice and how much is it going to cost?

These 5 points will help you take the first steps to securing your apprentice:

How to find the right apprenticeship standard

It’s important to identify which apprenticeship standard is right for your organisation and the first step in doing this is to identify which role you intend the apprentice to fill. Apprenticeship standards are being developed, approved and added by employers all the time. All apprenticeship standards are listed on the Institute for apprenticeships website where content is outlined along with individual assessment plans for each standard.

How to register on the apprenticeship service

To access funds to pay for apprenticeship training you will need to register on the apprenticeship service.  If you’re a Levy paying employer you may have already registered for the digital apprenticeship service where you can see and manage your digital account.

At the beginning of 2020 the Education Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) extended this digital apprenticeship service to non-levy paying employers too. Employers who don’t pay the Apprenticeship Levy can now register to reserve the funds required to cover the 95% government contribution to their chosen apprenticeship standard. This exciting change means that employers will now have greater ownership, visibility and involvement with apprenticeships, funding and access to a wider range of high-quality training providers and will be in greater control of the apprenticeships that they engage with.

How to find an apprenticeship provider

Once you’ve decided which apprenticeship standard fits your organisation’s needs, you’ll need to choose an apprenticeship provider to train your apprentice. Finding the right training provider is very important as they will support both the apprentice and you the employer throughout the apprenticeship. Each standard on The Institute for apprenticeships website will link through to training providers who deliver that apprenticeship standard. Alternatively visit Find Apprenticeship Training. 

When choosing a training provider, it’s important to find one who can provide the right delivery model that suits your business. For example, your apprentice might attend one day per week ('day release'), in blocks of a week or more ('block release'), or study online. Some training providers use a combination.

It’s also important to choose an apprenticeship provider that can provide the right level of support that you require as an employer.

  • Your training provider may also be able to help with: 
  • finding the right apprenticeship for you
  • preparing your apprentice for your organisation
  • making sure your apprentice is working in an appropriate environment
  • finding the right pace of learning for your apprentice
  • working with you to make sure your apprentice is learning the relevant skills


Make contact with your local training provider and they can discuss your requirements with you.

How to find an apprentice

Finding the right apprentice for your organisation is crucial and your training provider can offer support to help you to do this. Apprenticeship roles should be advertised in the same way as any other job role so consider:

  • Salary – are you offering a competitive apprenticeship salary
  • Job description – is it clear what the role entails
  • Why might they want to work for your organisation?
  • What are their future job prospects?
  • What is their future salary potential?


Your training provider may support in recruiting an apprentice and the National Apprenticeship Service will advertise apprenticeship roles on their website.

How much will it cost?

There is funding to support apprenticeship training costs in England regardless of the size of your organisation. If you’re an organisation with a salary bill in excess of £3million, you will automatically pay the Apprenticeship Levy. You can use these funds to cover the full cost of apprenticeship training.

If you're a non-levy paying organisation you will pay 5% of the training costs with the remaining 95% being paid by the government. 

For organisations with fewer than 50 employees, you’ll receive additional support and will not have to pay the 5% contribution if the apprentice is either 16-18 years old or is 19-24 years old, who has previously been in care or who has an Education, Health and Care plan provided by their local authority. In these cases, 100% of the apprenticeship training costs are paid by the government.

 

  • Have a question?

    If you need help in building an apprenticeship role within your organisation please contact our expert skills team on 0330 124 4446 or submit your enquiry today.

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