Hire an apprentice

Apprenticeships have evolved over the years and are an exciting option for both apprentice and employer. You can now employ apprentices at all different levels, from school leavers to people that want to further their careers or change career direction completely. Anyone over 16 can apply for an Apprenticeship, and there is no upper age limit. As an employer, you can get additional help with funding an apprentice from the government.

We offer apprenticeships in a range of areas, including:

• Business Services
• Construction/Building Services
• Digital
• Education
• Engineering/Manufacturing
• Hairdressing
• Hospitality and Catering
• Logistics
• Management
• Motor Vehicle

• What is an Apprenticeship?
  • Apprenticeships include a mixture of on-the-job and off-the-job training and can be used to train both new members of staff and existing employees who are learning a significant new skill.
  • Apprenticeships are available in a wide range of industry sectors, with employers ranging from large national companies to small local businesses.
  • Apprenticeship standards are designed and developed by employers and representatives from the relevant sector to meet the skills needs of industry.
  • Apprentices must be employed for a minimum of 30 hours per week unless there are exceptional circumstances.
  • An Apprentice’s time is divided between working with their employer and undertaking training with the College. This could be one day a week or a block week every other month depending on the course.
  • All Apprenticeships are different as they have been developed specifically for the relevant sector and job role, however they usually take anything between one year and four years to complete.

• What are the benefits to my organisation?
  Hiring an apprentice is a productive and effective way for any organisation to grow talent and develop a motivated, skilled and qualified workforce.

  86% of employers said apprenticeships developed skills relevant to their organisation and 78% reported improved productivity.

  Other benefits that apprenticeships contribute to your organisation include:

  • 90% of apprentices stay on in their place of work after completing an apprenticeship
  • There's a wide selection of apprenticeships available, covering lots of different job roles
  • You can adapt the training your apprentice receives according to the needs of your organisation
  • An apprenticeship allows you to diversify and freshen up your workforce
  • You can employ an apprentice who's aged 16 up to any age and from any background

• What funding is available?

  Apprenticeships are an effective and affordable way to provide training for your staff. 

  Apprenticeship funding:

  • Fully funded to those under 19 years old at the start of their programme if you employ 49 or less people. 
  • 5% contribution for those under 19 if you have more than 50 employees or if you employ someone who is 19+ at the start of the programme.
  • If you are a levy payer then all contributions will come from your levy account. If there are insufficient funds then the 5% contribution applies.
  • You will have the opportunity to open a Digital apprenticeship account to manage the funding for you apprentice/s.
  • As the employer, you are responsible for paying the Apprentice’s wages, to cover their time spent working and also their time spent training as a part of the Apprenticeship programme.

  Detailed information about apprenticeship funding can be found via these useful links.

  Manage apprenticeship funding

  https://www.gov.uk/guidance/manage-apprenticeship-funds 

  Paying the Apprenticeship levy

  https://www.gov.uk/guidance/pay-apprenticeship-levy 

  National minimum wage

  https://www.gov.uk/national-minimum-wage-rates 

• What is the recruitment process?

  Recruiting an apprentice has never been easier.

  At Burton and South Derbyshire College we make the process simple.

  1. One of our Key Account Executives will establish your needs over the telephone or face to face. 
  2. They will develop an apprenticeship vacancy advert with you, detailing all the key information required.
  3. This will then be posted on the Governments Find an Apprenticeship site as well as our own website.
  4. We will screen the applicants and send the most suitable to you for interview.
  5. Once you have recruited, we will interview them to make sure they are committed to undertaking an apprenticeship. They will also undergo a maths and English diagnostic test.
  6. If all parties agree, we will draw up the agreements, commitment and funding statements for signature including enrolment and start of learning date.

  (If you have already recruited then steps 2, 3 and 4 are not required)