AmirAbuHawash JO108 0005
Apprenticeships are
seen as the future of
work-based learning.
They are central to
the government’s
vision to improve
skills, build
sustainable growth and to enable individuals to
succeed and progress in their careers. A target
has been set of three million new
apprenticeship starts by 2020, with no decline
in the number of 16-18 apprentices.
An apprenticeship is a genuine job with an
accompanying skills development and training
programme. It enables young people to earn a
salary whilst they gain technical knowledge
and real practical experience, along with the
functional and personal skills required for the
specific job. These are acquired through a mix
of learning in the workplace, formal off-the-job
training and the opportunity to practise and
embed these new skills in a real work
environment.
Employers across all industries are looking for
more than just academic qualifications.
Graduates leaving the education system often
lack the practical workplace skills required,
such as problem solving, team working and
communication. As a result the government
has put employers at the heart of
apprenticeship design so the training is
specifically tailored to meet the needs of their
sector and the economy more widely. Groups
of “Trailblazer” employers in a range of sectors
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have led the development of the new
standards and assessment approaches.
EMPLOYER RESPONSIBILITIES
Apprentices are hired under a contract of
employment and are subject to the same
benefits and employment conditions as other
employees. They can expect a regular wage,
the same entitlement to holidays, fair working
hours, rest breaks, notice periods, grievance
and dismissal procedures, sick pay and
maternity or paternity pay. However, an
employer has increased responsibilities
towards an apprentice. The focus is on the
facilitation of training and undertaking work
that will enhance this process. There must be
a real job available with a contract of
employment long enough for an apprentice to
complete their training. They must work
alongside experienced staff and the job role
must help them gain the knowledge and skills
needed to achieve the apprenticeship. The
employer will be responsible for giving the
apprentice an induction into their role,
providing on-the-job training and releasing
them for their off-the-job training.
TRAINING
Most of the training is completed on-the-job at
the work premises, learning job specific skills
in the workplace. Off-the-job training is
provided by a training provider and may be
delivered through day release, block release,
on-line learning or a blend of different
methods. The employer can negotiate the
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delivery model with the training provider to
ensure that it is right for the business.
DURATION AND HOURS OF
WORK
An apprenticeship must last at least twelve
months with most taking between one and five
years to complete, depending upon the level of
apprenticeship and the industry sector. The
employment contract is normally for a fixed
term. Apprenticeship contracts are excluded
from the regulations covering fixed-term
employment and can only be terminated early
in very rare cases such as serious misconduct.
Apprenticeships are full-time jobs with training
or skills development attached. The minimum
hours of employment should be at least 30
hours per week with at least 20% of their time
spent undertaking off-the-job training that is
relevant to the apprenticeship. They must be
paid for this study time.
The working time regulations for young people
apply to apprentices. Young workers must not
exceed eight hours a day or forty hours per
week. They must have a rest break of at least
thirty minutes if their shift lasts more than four
and half hours and they must have a twelve
hour break between one shift ending and
another starting.
APPRENTICE WAGES
An apprentice aged under 19, or over 19 but in
their first year of an apprenticeship, must be
paid at least the national minimum
AmirAbuHawash JO108 0005
apprenticeship wage. If they are not in this
category they should be paid the relevant
national minimum wage rate for their age.
However, many employers choose to pay a
higher rate in recognition of the work
undertaken and to ensure that their company
attracts and retains high quality candidates.
Training progress reviews are usually carried
out as the trainee’s skills and experience
develop with their pay increased accordingly.
This gives an added incentive to the trainee to
do well in the apprenticeship.
APPRENTICESHIP AGREEMENT
An apprenticeship agreement is a contract of
service between an apprentice and the
employer. It confirms the employment
arrangements and provides the employee with
a written statement of particulars. The
agreement must be signed by both parties at
the start of any apprenticeship as without this
a completion certificate cannot be issued. The
agreement must include the:
 length of employment
 training to be provided
 working conditions
 qualifications they are working
towards.
A commitment statement must also be signed
between the employer, the apprentice and the
training provider. This includes the planned
content and schedule for training, what is
expected and offered by each party, and how
to resolve queries or complaints.
TRAINING COSTS
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An employer can apply for funding to help with Benefits of offering apprenticeships
the costs of training an apprentice. Large Helped develop skills relevant to the 86
employers who have an annual wage bill of needs of the organisation %
over £3 million, pay an apprenticeship levy Improved productivity 78
equivalent to 0.5% of their wage bill. This levy %
goes into a digital account which the Improved products or service quality 74
government tops up by 10%. Employers can %
then use these funds to purchase training from Improved staff morale 73
approved providers and assessors up to the %
funding band maximum for that Helped improve staff retention 69
apprenticeship. Employers that do not pay the %
levy will have 90% of apprenticeship training
Improved image in the sector 67
costs covered by the government or 100% if
%
they employer fewer than fifty staff and the
Brought new ideas to the organisation 65
apprentice is under 19.
%
BENEFITS TO BUSINESS Improved ability to attract good staff 62
%
Apprenticeships offer significant returns on Lowered overall wage bill 39
investment. Once an apprentice has %
completed their programme, they can add Helped win business 36
around £214 per week in productivity gains. A %
high proportion of apprentices stay with the
organisations that trained them. Many In addition, 81% of consumers favour using a
companies have long serving staff and company that takes on apprentices. This
members of the senior management team who
suggests that apprenticeships can improve a
started out as apprentices with the company. company’s reputation and increase consumer
A business survey completed in 2017 found demand for the goods and services offered.
that employers experienced a wide range of
Hiring apprentices can help businesses grow
benefits as a result of training apprentices. Half
their own talent by boosting relevant work skills
the companies surveyed said that their and developing a motivated and qualified
apprentices made a valuable contribution to
workforce. They are a good way to recruit new
the business during their training period, with a
staff or to up-skill existing staff and can lead to
further third reporting that apprentices added tangible economic benefits for employers.
value within their first few weeks or even from
the first day. The following table shows the
proportion of employers who experienced the
main benefits listed:
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