Now is the time to ‘Think Apprenticeships’.
Take a look below at the new financial incentives and see how Apprenticeships can help your company.
Incentives
| Incentive Categories | Age of Apprentice |
| Employer Incentive | 16-18 (£1,000) |
| Employer Incentive – Care Leaver – EHCP | 19-24 (£3,000) |
| Learner Incentive / Bursary – Local Authority Care Leaver | 16-18 & 19-24 (£1,000) |
Future proof your workforce with Runshaw
Our Employer Relationships Team is ready to help you with every step of securing an apprentice or upskilling your existing workforce. From your initial contact with us all the way through to appointing an apprentice or signing up an existing member of your workforce, you will have one person who will be your single point of contact.
Once your apprentice is in the post, our training team takes over as we begin to assess your apprentice against the apprenticeship standards – knowledge, skills, and behaviours. Again, there will just be one point of contact for you who will keep you regularly updated with their progress.
Upskilling your existing workforce & reasons to hire an Apprentice
Access apprenticeships to develop your existing staff, boost productivity and reduce staff turnover. Apprenticeships are a fantastic way to support succession planning and the continued professional development of your staff.
Hiring an apprentice is a productive and effective way to grow talent and develop a motivated, skilled and qualified workforce.
- 86% of employers said apprenticeships helped them develop skills relevant to their organisation
- 78% of employers said apprenticeships helped them improve productivity
- 74% of employers said apprenticeships helped them improve the quality of their product or service
Other benefits of working with apprentices include:
- you can adapt their training according to the needs of your business
- they’re motivated to learn new skills
- you can expand and upskill your workforce
*Statistics taken from National Apprenticeship Service.
How the Apprenticeship Programme is funded – Levy & Government Funding
The Levy, Standards, and everything in-between!
The first stage of the levy, began in May 2017, and only affects your business if it has a payroll of over £3 million. This involves paying 0.5% of payroll costs on a monthly basis after the deduction of a £15,000 allowance. The government then tops up the fund by 10%, and the funds can be used by to buy apprenticeship training through an approved provider whilst also allowing you to get more out of the fund than they put in.
Most businesses under the £3m marker will not pay the levy and if your business is not part of a larger group of companies it will not have to make any contribution for apprentices aged 16 to 21, and just 5% for those over.
| Employer Size | Funding Source |
| Levy Paying Employer | Funded through levy |
| Apprentice aged 21+ | Employer pays 5% towards total cost |
| Apprentice aged 16-21 | Programme is fully funded – no employer contribution. The apprentice must be 21 or under before apprenticeship starts |
The employer is responsible for paying the apprentice, at least the National Minimum Wage for apprentices. Click here for more information. The contract of employment is between the employer and the apprentice.
Off-the-Job and Assessment (EPA)
It is mandatory that all apprentices have time in their working week “off the job” to learn new skills, improve knowledge and work on their portfolio. For those who are on work-based learning programmes, time must be agreed with the line manager to meet the off the job requirements. For those on programmes that include college days, a large proportion of this will be covered for apprentices when they attend. Please note: most of our courses are work based learning programmes.
Further information and examples of off the job activities can be found here.
All Apprenticeship Programmes are known as “Standards”. At the end of the practical period of the apprenticeship the apprentice reaches gateway, at which point they are entered for an End Point Assessment (EPA), in agreement with the apprentice’s manager, mentor and trainer. The EPA is facilitated & carried out by an external organisation, the apprenticeship is complete once the EPA passed. The EPA will vary by programme, this will be outlined to you during the sign-up process and on an on-going basis by your designated trainer.
Are you ready to hire an apprentice or upskill your existing workforce?
Are you persuaded that an Apprentice could benefit your business? If so, allow us to assist you in discovering the ideal candidate. Feel free to reach out to us today for a commitment-free conversation.
Find the right type of apprenticeship training programme for your business and contact Employer Relationship Team by calling us, emailing us or completing the fields in the table. Work with us to advertise your apprenticeship opportunity and interview your candidates and appoint!
Special Educational Needs (SEN) – Support
✅ An allocated Learning mentor ✅ Counselling services ✅ Independent Careers advice ✅ Employer SEN support guide
