Apprenticeships

An apprenticeship is a real job that enables individuals to earn while they learn, gaining valuable skills and knowledge tailored to a specific job role. As an employer, apprentices have a contract with you like any other employee.

Find out how hiring an apprentice can help you to invest in the future by bringing in talent to fit your business needs.

How apprenticeships work 

Apprentices typically spend 80% of their time on the job, learning and gaining experience. 

The remaining 20% of their time is off-the-job training, which may be conducted at: 

  • the workplace
  • the college
  • with a training provider

To be eligible for an apprenticeship in England, you must:

  • be 16 or over (or 15 years of age if the apprentice’s 16th birthday is between the last Friday of June and 31 August)
  • not already be in full-time education
  • live in England 

Apprentices can have a previous qualification like a degree and still start an apprenticeship.

Apprenticeships are suitable for any sector. Apprenticeships can be used:

  • for all levels of employees from entry through to degree-level
  • to retrain and upskill employees as well as new recruits 

Each devolved nation has its own apprenticeship programmes, eligibility criteria, and funding rules. 

Apprenticeship standards used in England may differ from the frameworks used in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

What the benefits of apprenticeships are for SMEs

Apprenticeships offer a way for SMEs to develop their workforce and contribute to business and economic growth.

Being an apprentice employer means you can:

  • reduce your recruitment costs
  • build a skilled and motivated workforce tailored to your business
  • expand your business
  • fill any skill gaps
  • increase productivity
  • build skills in mentoring, training, and management with current employees

Use apprenticeships to help meet your sustainability goals

Sustainability-focused apprenticeships have the potential to play a central role in meeting Net Zero skills needs and across all sectors of the economy.

According to the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education (IfATE), more than 200 apprenticeships are supporting England’s drive for net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. 

Apprenticeships can be used to retrain and upskill employees, particularly those who currently work in high-carbon industries. 

Examples of apprenticeships include:

  • plumbers
  • electricians
  • ventilation and heating engineers
  • wind turbine maintenance
  • engineering technicians
  • environmental practitioners

Six green apprenticeships have been hand-picked by industry experts and marked with the Coronation emblem. The emblem signals a gold-standard apprenticeship that will help develop green skills.

These apprenticeships are paving the way for hundreds more environmentally-friendly apprenticeships. They do not have any special funding.

The six apprenticeships are:

Find apprenticeship funding and support

You are eligible for government funding, which will pay between 95% and 100% of the apprentice training costs, if you are a smaller employer.

Find out more from GOV.UK about:

Other ways of getting help

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