Apprenticeships

What are Apprenticeships?

They are work-based training programmes designed around the needs of employers, which lead to national recognised qualifications. You can use Apprenticeships to train both new and existing employees who are moving into a new or changed job role and need to learn new skills. Funding is available to train apprentices.

Apprenticeships are designed by the Sector Skills Councils, while the National Apprenticeship Service helps to fund the training. Business representatives from the relevant industry sector work with the Sector Skills Councils to develop the course content. Because they genuinely understand your business, the training will be relevant for your industry.

Over 100,000 employers in over 160,000 workplaces offer frameworks across a wide range of industry sectors.

Depending on the sector and job role an Apprenticeship can take anything between one and four years to complete. It is a package of on-the-job training and qualifications.

Facts in numbers

• Over 80% of those employers who employ apprentices agree they make their workplace more productive.
• 81% of consumers favour using a company which takes on apprentices.
• The National Minimum Wage for apprentices is £2.65 per hour. Many employers prefer to pay more however, and research shows that the average salary is approx £170 per week.
• Employers who take on a 16-18 year old apprentice only pay their salary. The Government will fund their training.
• There are more than 250 different types of Apprenticeships available offering over 1,400 job roles.
• 92% of employers who employ apprentices believe that Apprenticeships lead to a more motivated and satisfied workforce.
• 83% of employers who employ apprentices rely on their Apprenticeships programme to provide the skilled workers that they need for the future.
• One in five employers are hiring more apprentices to help them through the tough economic climate.

Levels

There are three levels of Apprenticeship available:

1 - Intermediate Level Apprenticeships

Apprentices work towards work-based learning qualifications such as a Level 2 Competence Qualification, Functional Skills and, in most cases, a relevant knowledge-based qualification.

2 - Advanced Level Apprenticeships

Apprentices work towards work-based learning such as a Level 3 Competence Qualification, Functional Skills and, in most cases, a relevant knowledge-based qualification.

3 - Higher Apprenticeships

Apprentices undertake a framework at Level 4 and above which will include a competence based qualification, Functional Skills and in some cases a broader vocationally related qualification which could be a Foundation degree.

Types of Apprenticeships

Apprenticeships are available in a wide range of industry sectors with employers from large national companies such as Sainsburys, Kia Motors and Orange to smaller local companies.

There are more than 250 different types of Apprenticeships available offering over 1,400 job roles within a variety of industry sectors ranging from accountancy and engineering to veterinary nursing and floristry.

Training and Employment

As Apprenticeships are work-based training programmes, most of the training is ‘on the job’ – at your premises. The rest can be provided by a local college or by a specialist learning provider, or you could deliver everything yourself.

As the employer you must give your apprentices an induction into their role and provide on-the-job training.You are also responsible for paying your apprentices’ wages.

Employment is expected to be for a minimum of 30 hours per week, except in the minority of circumstances, in these cases employment must be for more than 16 hours per week and the length of the apprenticeship will need to be increased accordingly to ensure the apprentice has gained the required level of skills and knowledge to do the job.

For all Apprenticeships commencing on or after 6th April 2012 the requirement to be employed under an Apprenticeship Agreement is a condition for completion of an Apprenticeship. Without it an Apprenticeship certificate cannot be issued. The only circumstances where an Apprenticeship can be completed without an Apprenticeship Agreement being in place are covered by the specific occupations in a limited number of frameworks covered by the alternative completion conditions. Apprentice redundancy is also covered under the alternative completion conditions.

Central College Nottingham will work with you to:

• help you decide which Apprenticeship is right for you;
• explain the way that Apprenticeships might work for you and if funding is available;
• agree a training plan with your apprentice;
• recruit an apprentice or support your existing staff into Apprenticeships;
• manage the training and evaluation; and
• ensure that national quality standards are met and deliver integrated, coherent training.