For employers

Apprenticeships

Are you thinking of taking on an Apprentice?

Apprentices are opportunities for all employers, from small businesses to large multi-national companies, to strengthen, diversify and develop their workforce, helping organisations to be ready for the future.

Research has proven that apprentices add real value to employers and to the wider economy: for every £1 spent, there is a £28 return.

Apprenticeships are for people of all ages from 16 upwards. All the information you need about recruiting apprentices can be found in one place here on Workbox.

It is not as complicated as it may seem to employ an apprentice or use the apprenticeship levy to upskill your current team. We can provide you with all the advice and information you need through our employer engagement team at Wolves at Work, who will talk you through the apprenticeship standards.

For more information on:

Independent advice and guidance available
What funding is available?
What standards will the apprentice undertake?
Employment liabilities
The Apprenticeship levy and training
The new Apprenticeship service

If you are interested in marketing your business and apprenticeship offer on our Meet the Employers page, please email workbox@wolverhampton.gov.uk

As a levy-paying employer, the City of Wolverhampton Council can now transfer some of our annual levy funds to other smaller Wolverhampton employers.

If your business or organisation is based in Wolverhampton, then you could be eligible for advice on recruiting apprentices and the up-skilling of your existing workforce, or for financial support which can be used to fund training.

Contact Paula.Moore@wolverhampton.gov.uk for more information.

FAQs

How much does it cost me?

Taking on an apprentice can be excellent value for money. You may be eligible for government funding to cover up to 100% of the costs of training. If you do not currently pay into the Apprenticeship levy you will be expected to contribute 10%.

The national minimum wage for an apprentice is £4.15 an hour for the first year, although many employers choose to pay a higher rate to make their schemes more attractive to high calibre applicants.

You can also offer apprenticeships to upskills current employees.

What will I gain?

Recruiting an apprentice means committing to helping someone to develop the skills your business requires and to achieve their potential. They will be learning about your company and its culture so that they may help to increase your skills base and contribute to your organisations productivity. It is estimated that for every £1 spent on an apprentice, the apprentice can return up to £28 in value, which is an excellent return for a mutually beneficial arrangement which can help your company grow.

Is it a difficult process?

Recruiting apprenticeships is the same as recruiting for any other role. Our employer engagement team can put you in contact with the right provider, who will be able to assist you with the process and reduce the demands on your time.

Is it a real job?

Yes, your employee will be performing a real job in whatever skill or role you have decided, but they will have the added benefit of earning a wage and learning at the same time.

Who is responsible for training?

You may choose to deliver the training in-house and have an assessor support with the assessment elements required for the qualification, or you can out-source to a provider who will work with you to develop a tailored package to suit your needs. Speak to our employer engagement team to identify the right provider for you through a skills assessment.

How long is the apprenticeship for, and what happens after?

The apprenticeship lasts for as long as the qualification takes to complete, which is dependent on the level.

Afterwards, you will have a capable and qualified individual who has the required skills for your business and who you may wish to make a permanent member of staff - why let any other company benefit from your investment of time and money?

What is the apprenticeship levy?

The Apprenticeship levy was introduced in April 2017 and requires all employers operating in the UK, with a pay bill over £3 million each year, to make an investment in apprenticeships. You can benefit from this investment by training apprentices.

The levy is charged at a rate of 0.5% of your annual pay bill and provides employers with an allowance of £15,000 per year to offset against the levy. Here you can find out more about calculating what you pay.

The levy is paid to HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) through the Pay as You Earn (PAYE) process.

Funding will roll over if not spent each month but will expire 24 months after it enters your digital account.

What can I spend it on?

Funds in your digital account provided by the Apprenticeship Levy can only be used towards the costs of apprenticeship training and end point assessment. This must be with an approved training provider and assessment organisation.

It can’t be used on other costs associated with your apprenticeships or wider training effort. For example; wages, travel and subsidiary costs, managerial costs, traineeships, work placement programmes or the costs of setting up an apprenticeship programme.

What if I am not a levy payer?

If you are not a levy payer, you are still be able to access some government funding for part of the costs but you will also need to make a payment as a ‘co-investment’.

Is there additional support for small and medium sized businesses?

Local training providers and the City of Wolverhampton College have funding available to support you in accessing funding for an apprenticeship

If you have fewer than 50 employees

The government is offering support to small employers (those with fewer than 50 employees) to recruit young apprentices and will pay 100% of the training costs for these individuals. In addition to this, they are extending this offer to small employers who take on a 19 to 24-year-old apprentice who was formerly in care or has a Local Authority Education, Health and Care plan.

The government will pay £1,000 to you as a non-Levy-paying employer recruiting a 16-18-year-old or a 19 to 24-year-old apprentice who was formerly in care or has a Local Authority Education, Health and Care plan.