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Apprenticeships
- what employers should know
What's in it for me?
- Develop a loyal and well-trained workforce
- Take an alternative route to finding fresh talent and beating the skills shortage threatening many UK businesses
- It's cost effective as apprentices learn on the job and benefit from government subsidised off-the-job training
- A 2009 Learning and Skills Council survey of those employing apprentices found: 81% felt apprentices generated overall higher productivity; 66% felt programmes made them more competitive; 92% said their programme motivated staff and increased job satisfaction and 74% said apprentices were more loyal
Who can be an apprentice? Anyone over 16, including an existing employee. The National Apprenticeship Service will cover mandatory training at usually 100% for 16-18 year olds, 50% for 19-24 year olds and it will also fund those over 25 years, the amount depending on sector and qualification.
How long should an apprenticeship be? This depends on the level of skills of the apprentice and what qualification is being offered, but generally one to three years.
What do I need to provide? A minimum of 16 hours a week paid employment. Plus 'a knowledge based element'; 'a competence based element'; 'transferable "key skills"'(e.g. communication, numeracy, ICT, team work, problem solving) and a module on employment rights and responsibilities. The National Apprenticeship Service can help with putting together this framework. The qualification on offer could be Level 2 or GCSE level, Level 3 or A-levels (known as Advanced Apprenticeships) or the equivalent to a foundation degree (Higher Apprenticeships). How much does it cost? The National Minimum wage is lower for an apprentice at just £2.50 an hour, plus the normal holiday and leave rights. However, most employers tend to offer more, particularly as skills develop. The National Apprenticeship Service says apprentices earn an average of £170 net pay per week. On top of this you have minor costs for supervision and support, but The National Apprenticeship Service will cover at least part of training costs. The new "Specification of Apprenticeship Standards for England" was announced earlier this month by John Hayes - be sure you're attracting the best applicants by offering a programme that's competitive and follows these standards. These guidelines aim to ensure that all apprenticeships: deliver relevant, high quality and nationally-recognised qualifications; offer appropriate training to achieve a high standard in literacy, numeracy and also ICT where relevant, and offer a minimum of 280 hours of guided learning per year. We're interested to hear your experiences of apprenticeships - are you pleased about the new government's increase in funding for this area? Have you taken on apprentices in the past, or is it something you are likely to consider? | 
