Apprenticeships are the UK’s flagship work-based vocational qualifications for people aged 16 years old and above. Apprenticeship programmes are specifically designed for particular occupational areas, meet nationally approved standards and are for people wishing to follow a career in that industry.
An apprenticeship is a genuine job with an accompanying assessment and skills development programme. It is a way for individuals to earn while they learn, gaining valuable skills and knowledge in a specific job role. The apprentice gains this through a wide mix of learning in the workplace, formal off-the-job training and the opportunity to practise new skills in a real work environment. Apprenticeships benefit employers and individuals, and by boosting the skills of the workforce they help to improve economic productivity.
Apprentices must spend at least 20% of their time on off-the-job training. However, they may need more than this if, for example, they need training in English and maths. It is up to the employer and training provider to decide how the off-the-job training is delivered. It may include regular day release, block release and special training days or workshops. It must be directly relevant to the apprenticeship framework or standard and can be delivered at the apprentice’s normal place of work as long as it is not part of their normal working duties. It can cover practical training such as shadowing, mentoring, industry visits and attending competitions.
On-the-job training helps an apprentice develop the specific skills for the workplace and they should be supported by a mentor.
Once an apprentice completes their apprenticeship they should be able to demonstrate that they can perform tasks confidently and completely to the standard set by industry.
Individuals over the age of 16, spending at least 50% of their working hours in England throughout their apprenticeship and, not in full-time education, can apply for an apprenticeship. Employers can offer apprenticeships to new entrants or use them to grow talent among current employees. Apprenticeships equip individuals with the necessary skills, knowledge and behaviour they need for specific job roles, future employment and progression.
86% of employers said apprenticeships helped them develop skills relevant to their organisation, while 78 per cent said apprenticeships improved productivity.1(Source: Apprenticeship Evaluation 2017: Employers).
Other benefits that apprenticeships contribute towards:
We create bespoke apprenticeship programmes that tie into your business needs and objectives, designed to complement existing internal training schemes and add real value to the growth and development of your business.
Each Apprenticeship programme has its own Standard linked to a specific occupation – these are rigorous, challenging and require the Apprentice to undertake a minimum of one year’s training followed by an End-Point Assessment (EPA).
There must be a genuine job available with a contract of employment long enough for an apprentice to complete their apprenticeship. Employers must pay an apprentice’s wages and the role must help them gain the knowledge, skills and behaviour they need to achieve the apprenticeship with support from the employer.
Employers can select a training provider from the Register of apprenticeship training providers (ROATP) and agree to a total price for the cost of training and assessment. For an apprenticeship standard, this should include the cost of the end-point assessment which must be agreed with the provider selected from the Register of end-point assessment organisations.
Employers need to have:
For employers who pay the apprenticeship levy and use the apprenticeship service, they will need to have:
The government is offering additional support to organisations with fewer than 50 employees. For more details visit: apprenticeships.gov.uk