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What are apprenticeships?
Apprenticeships can help train and up-skill existing members of staff as well as new starters. Apprenticeships are available for anyone aged 16 or older, that is not in full-time education. There is no age limit on apprenticeships and individuals can complete multiple apprenticeship during their career
You can get government funding to cover some of the cost of training and assessing an apprentice if you are in England.
You must pay the apprentice at least the minimum wage. Apprenticeships must last for at least a year and can last up to 5 years depending on the level the apprentice is studying.
Your apprentice must:
- work with experienced staff
- learn job-specific skills
- get time for training or study during their working week (at least 20% of their normal working hours).
There are several steps to taking on an apprentice. View more information on employing an apprentice on the GOV.UK website or contact the National Apprenticeship Service on 0800 015 0600. You can also check with our Business Engagement Team by email to edu@chorley.gov.uk or by calling 01257 515300.
Costs of apprenticeships
You must pay the apprentice minimum wage when employing an apprentice, with many employers choosing to pay higher.
You can view apprenticeship wage information on the GOV.UK website.
Apprentices are paid for their normal working hours, training that is part of the apprenticeship and study towards English and Maths qualifications, if they are part of the apprenticeship.
Depending on your business size and the age of the apprentice, your training costs could be partly covered or you could event receive a government contribution of up to 100%.
You can use the calculator tool available, to estimate what funding could be available towards your apprentice’s training costs. Many training providers will also support you when working out costs.
Responsibilities of employers
As an employer, you are responsible for delivering on the job training. You must also support your apprentice to complete their off the job training. Off the job training should take up 20% of the apprentice’s working hours. You can find out more on the Apprenticeship website
Your apprentice, the training provider, and you as the employer all have responsibilities to meet throughout the apprenticeship. You can view an overview of responsibilities on the Apprenticeship website.
Training providers
There are a variety of training providers offering apprenticeships. This list includes a selection of providers delivering apprenticeship courses in Chorley.
Finding an apprenticeship course
The SORTED guide created by Lancashire WBL Executive Forum showcases the training providers and courses offered in Lancashire. You can access this resource on the Lancashire Forum website
You can also see the range of apprenticeship training courses on offer using the GOV.UK resource. This allows you to find a training course relevant to your business by entering keywords, qualification levels, or apprenticeship categories. You can find apprenticeship training courses on the GOV.UK website.
Apprenticeship courses are offered at different levels. The table below shows these along with their equivalent educational level.
|
|
Level |
Equivalent Educational Level |
|
Intermediate |
2 |
GCSE |
|
Advanced |
3 |
A Level |
|
Higher |
4, 5, 6 and 7 |
Foundation degree or above |
|
Degree |
6 and 7 |
Bachelor’s or master’s degree |
The duration of the apprenticeship depends on the course you select.