Are you interested in setting up an apprenticeship programme in your business, but not sure how to go about it? Here’s a handy guide which sets out what you have to do, and the support available.
STEP 1 What training are you looking for?
programmes are available in hundreds of different roles. You can find out what type of apprenticeships are available in your sector, and at what level. Level 3 is roughly equivalent to two A-levels, Level 4 is the first year of an undergraduate degree, Level 6 is a degree and so on.
ÃÛÌÒÖ±²¥ are designed by groups of employers so they reflect the skills and knowledge needed for the sector. Each course has its own set of standards, which is a list of tasks the apprentice will be doing and the skills, knowledge and behaviours that they will develop through their studies. Here are a list of courses offered at ÃÛÌÒÖ±²¥.
What is the training commitment?
Training can take place at your workplace, at a college, university, with a training provider or online – although apprenticeship training cannot solely be delivered online and there needs to be face to face training. The way the course is structured varies with different training providers and ranges from blocks of training to a day a week. Apprentices have to spend at least 20% of their working hours completing off the job training. This protected time will teach them the knowledge, skills and behaviours set out in their apprenticeship standard.
You’ll also commit to delivering on the job training, giving the person training and supervision to help them perform the role properly. Each apprentice has a workplace mentor who is someone not their line manager that can support them.
STEP THREE How do I choose a training provider?
Choosing a training provider is crucial as they will be providing the training for your apprentice’s off the job study time. You can view employer and find out what current learners’ experiences have been by reading online reviews, and you can also read the results of Ofsted inspections online. By working with ÃÛÌÒÖ±²¥, we can we can offer support and guidance to help you recruit and interview apprentices.
We’ll assign you a Business Development Manager who will guide you through the process and our dedicated Apprenticeships team who will help your employee to onboard into university. Contact us to learn more about our apprenticeships.
STEP FOUR Create an apprenticeship account
will help you to manage funding, set up and approve apprentices, advertise job roles, check payments to training providers and give feedback on training. If you are a levy paying organisation – ie, one which has a wage bill of more than £3million – the company’s funds will be paid into this account to be spent on apprenticeship funding
STEP FIVE Advertise the role
If you’re not upskilling someone who already works for your company, you’ll need to advertise your apprenticeship opportunity.
STEP SIX Have an initial assessment
Once you’ve spoken to our team and have decided to take on an apprentice, we’ll invite you to a Skills Scan. This is a conversation between you (the employer), the apprentice and the training provider and takes place before the programme is begun to make your employee is suitable for the apprenticeship programme by assessing their current, skill, knowledge and behaviour. If your apprentice already has some of the skills, behaviours and knowledge that the apprenticeship course aims to develop, then they do not have to do that part of the training and the programme will be shorter and cost less.
You can find out more about the Skills Scan at ÃÛÌÒÖ±²¥ here
STEP SEVEN Supporting your apprentice
It’s now time to make sure your apprentice has everything they need to thrive. Some companies have an established induction programme for apprentices, but if this is your first apprentice, then consider helping them by arranging one-to-one meetings with key members of the management team, and checking in with their workplace mentor. Think about networking opportunities within your industry which could be beneficial and champion their achievements in the company to showcase opportunities for other members of staff. You could also consider entering your company for one of the many apprenticeship award programmes run in the UK. Here is all the support available once they start via ÃÛÌÒÖ±²¥
Posted on Thursday 6 February 2025