What are the steps for hiring an apprentice in a larger company?

The steps to employing an apprentice

As a large employer there are some steps you need to take when looking to train and employ an apprentice.

Now you know what is needed

You can watch the video below on how to set up an apprenticeship service account. Use the button below the video to open the gov.uk website.
Register account

What funding is available from the government?

Employers can receive up to £3000.00 to train and employ an apprentice in funding from the Government, click the button below to find out more. 

Government funding
Recruitment steps

Training young apprentices

There is no doubt that taking on an apprentice will be different to recruiting someone who has some experience in the role you are recruiting for. You must remember that the training is a partnership with the training provider and you the employer. The reality is the more training and support you are able to provide the apprentice the more successful the apprentice will be and in turn add real value to your business. This is also a great opportunity for your current skilled team to coach and mentor someone.

Off-the-job training

Will be delivered by a training provider during your apprentice's normal working hours. This training will teach your apprentice the knowledge, skills and behaviours set out in the apprenticeship standard so they can achieve occupational competence. 

20% of the time spent by the apprentice should be off the Job training however it’s important to understand what constitutes to off the Job training. The training completed by the training provider is classed as off the job, but if you can answer yes to these questions then this is also classed as off the job 

  • Is the activity directly relevant to the apprenticeship?
  • Is the activity teaching new knowledge, skills and behaviours? 
  • Is the learning taking place in the apprentice's paid working hours?

On-the-job training

Will be delivered by you, as your apprentice's employer. You'll need to give the apprentice training and supervision to help them perform the work you've hired them for.

There clearly will be some time investment that needs to be made from you or a member of your team, so to help with this all employers will receive £1,000 if, at the start of the apprenticeship, the apprentice is:

  • between 16 and 18 years old (or 15 years old if the apprentice's 16th birthday is between the last Friday of June and 31 August)
  • between 19 and 24 years old and has either an Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan provided by their local authority or has been in the care of their local authority

This payment will be paid to you in two equal instalments, 3 months and 12 months into the apprenticeship, through your training provider.

Due to the current pandemic the government has made new incentives available to employers looking to employ an apprentice.

Click the icon below for more information

Current incentives now available – (from 1st August 2020)

Due to the recent global pandemic the UK government have put together additional incentive payments for employers who hire a new apprentice between 1 August 2020 and 31 January 2021. There will be two levels of payment based on age.

  • Available funding for apprentices aged 16-18: £3,000 
  • Available funding for apprentices aged 19-24: £2,000 
  • Available funding for apprentices aged 25 and over: £1,500 

For apprentices between 16 and 18, these incentive payments are on top of the existing incentive payments of £1,000 that the government already provides. So employers will actually receive a total of £3,000 for all apprentices aged 16 to 18. The payment will be made directly to employers in two equal instalments, where the apprentice is still in learning at day 90 and day 365. There will be no limit on the number of incentive payments that an employer can claim for apprentices eligible to receive funding, provided each apprentice meets the criteria, including being a new employee. For the remainder of the 2020-21, the number of ‘active’ or ‘used’ reservations available to non-levy paying employers at any given time will increase from 3 to 10. This enables small non-levy paying employers to recruit more apprentices for their businesses through the apprenticeship service.

This came into effect on the 15th July 2020 and will continue to be kept under review as we further assess how the new system is working.

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