How do apprentices benefit a business?

Apprenticeships are for employers of all sizes and sectors and people of all ages, education levels and backgrounds – there are opportunities for all. With businesses facing continuous challenges, apprenticeships offer a fantastic way to recruit and upskill their teams. The 80% work and 20% apprenticeship training structure allows businesses to shape and develop a talented workforce that is equipped with the relevant skills applicable for the future success and longevity of the business.

How can my business utilise the apprenticeship scheme?

Apprentices must be over 16 years of age, have lived in the UK for a minimum of 3 years and not be in full-time education. They also:

• Are an employee with a contract of employment earning a wage and getting holiday pay
• Work alongside experienced staff
• Gain job-specific skills
• Get time for training and study related to their role (at least 20% of working hours)

Types of Training

• At your place of work - online through virtual training or on the job training
• Day release - a day at a time at a college or training provider.
• Block release - two or more days at a time at a college or training provider.

Exploring options

With hundreds of apprenticeship opportunities available across a wide range of sectors, including: Business and Administration | Care and Service | Catering and Hospitality | Construction and Architecture | Creative and Design | Education and Childcare | Digital and IT | Engineering and Manufacturing | Environmental | Finance and Accounting | Sales and Marketing | Transport and Logistics Apprenticeships are available from foundation to higher and degree level standards.

Apprentices

Apprentices are entitled to the apprentice rate if they’re either:

• Aged under 19
• Aged 19 or over and in the first year of their apprenticeship, after 12 months into their apprenticeship, they will be entitled to the national minimum wage for their age bracket.

Looking to utilise apprenticeships in your workplace?

1. Register for the Apprentice account 7– this is where you apply for funding, post job adverts etc Create a GOV.UK One Login or sign in - GOV.UK One Login (account.gov.uk)
2. Register with Levy Matchmaking service for funding, this site is designed to match smaller employers with larger donor organisations who are looking to support funding apprenticeship training using their apprenticeship levy. Create your account to gain access to all the great opportunities that exist within Greater Manchester Levy Matchfinder
3. Depending on the apprentice you hire you may be entitled to an additional payment of £1,000. Find out more here – Employing an apprentice: Get funding for apprenticeship training - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Government Funding

Is your wage bill above £3 million?

• Yes - you will pay 0.5% of your wage bill into an ‘Apprenticeship levy account’ – this can only be utilised for either recruiting, or upskilling an existing staff, via an apprenticeship program.
• No - If your wage bill is below £3 million the Government funds all training costs for 16, 17 and 18 year olds via the apprenticeship account (see below) and 95% of the training costs for 19+ years old. The remaining 5% is funded by you, the employer.

Greater Manchester Levy Matchmaking Service

This dedicated service will facilitate funding transfers to create more apprenticeship opportunities across the city region. Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) commissioned the Growth Company in early 2019 to develop and deliver an online apprenticeship Levy Matchmaking Service that ensures as many levy payers (public and private sector) as possible transfer unspent funds to non-levy payers negating the need for them to pay the 5% co-investment costs. With Levy paying organisations now able to transfer up to 25% of their funds to other employers there was a need to make this as simple a process as possible for both parties. This ensures maximum levy investment is retained in GM. Non-levy paying organisations have no training cost and apprenticeship training providers do not use up their limited non-levy funding. Employers large and small can register on this website to transfer or receive funds from their apprenticeship digital accounts covering the training costs of a specified apprentice.

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