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How To Recruit Your First Apprentice
National Apprenticeship Week takes places from 5th to 11th February 2024 and is an opportunity to celebrate the achievements of apprentices around the country and the positive impact they make to communities, businesses, and the wider economy.
Apprenticeships are a great way for employers to ‘grow their own’ talent. By offering an apprenticeship, businesses can ensure that the skills developed are matched to their company’s current and future needs.
Apprentice outputs usually surpass their associated costs, delivering a net benefit to employers during their training and beyond.
Who is eligible to be an apprentice?
Apprenticeships are available to anyone aged over the age of 16, not in full-time education and eligible to work in the UK. There is no upper age limit. Apprenticeships be a minimum of a year duration and can be new or current employees.
How does the training work?
Alongside on-the-job training, apprentices spend at least 20% of their working hours completing classroom-based learning with a college, university or training provider which leads to a nationally recognised qualification. The remainder of their time is spent in the workplace, performing their job role and learning from those around them.
Does the government provide any financial assistance?
For businesses with 50 or fewer employees, the government pays
- a minimum of 95% of the training costs
- a cash incentive of £1000 to recruit 16-18 year olds which can be spent on associated costs e.g. advice and support on recruiting an apprentice, uniforms, the apprentice’s travel or their salary.
What are the apprenticeship pay rates?
Apprentice rates from April 2024:-
£6.40 – if aged under 19 or if they are aged 19 or over and in the first year of their apprenticeship.
Minimum wage for their age if they are age 19 or over and have completed the first year of their apprenticeship. For further information on wage rate increases, see our employment law update.
How do I recruit an apprentice?
- Select the apprenticeship standard (i.e. the job role the apprentice will be training for) by visiting the Apprenticeships and Technical Education website
- Draw up a job description and person specification to structure the role and define what you are looking for at the recruitment stage. Incorporating “key success factors” into your job description will help to set expectations and support you with managing performance in the role.
- Find an organisation that offers training in the apprenticeship standard you have chosen.
- Create an apprenticeship account.
- Advertise your vacancy – think about how you can “sell” the career opportunity on offer.
- Design your own selection process and recruit your new team member.
- Agree a training plan with the training provider and sign apprenticeship agreements.
- Provide a contract of employment. Note that employment contracts for apprentices differ from non-apprenticeship contracts. They must meet the requirements of the Employment Rights Act (as per your standard contracts) plus additional requirements under the Apprenticeships, Skills, Children and Learning Act 2009.
Don’t have time to recruit an apprentice?
KR HR & Training Consultancy can help with offering advice, hands-on support and key documentation throughout the above process.
Further information can be found here: