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An apprenticeship is a system for training a new generation of practitioners of a trade or profession with on-the-job training, and often some accompanying study. Apprenticeships can also enable practitioners to gain a license to practice in a regulated profession.
An apprenticeship could be for you if it’s your first job, you’ve been promoted to a new role which has more responsibilities or different skills, you’re looking for a change of career, or you’re having to get a new job away from a manual role that’ll will require new skills.
More information available at: https://www.gov.uk/become-apprentice
You are never too old to start an apprenticeship! It isn’t just for someone to start a career. An apprenticeship goes beyond that- it’ll develop your job, qualifications and your career; and so will cover an expansive journey to help you become an expert. It will reignite your sense of curiosity, discovery and improvement within your job. Apprenticeships aren’t just a valuable route for school leavers, they can also be the catalyst for a career change and for pursuing missed opportunities. It’s just a new opportunity to gain more qualifications, or to update your skillset in a new industry.
An apprenticeship must last for a minimum of 12 months, but can vary in length for up to 24 months for Level 3 and Level 4 programmes.
Apprenticeships have equivalent education levels.
Level Equivalent educational level
Intermediate 2 GCSE
Advanced 3 A level
Higher 4,5,6 and 7 Foundation degree and above
Some apprenticeships may also give you an additional qualification, such as a diploma.
Off-the-job training is learning which happens outside of the normal day-to-day working environment, and leads to the achievement of an apprenticeship. This doesn’t mean you lose your apprentice for a fixed amount of time each week. Rather, your apprentice can set aside time to develop each week.
Examples of off-the-job training include classroom training, role play, coaching and mentoring, simulation exercises, online learning, work shadowing, manufacturer training, industry visits, self-study and assignment completion.
More information available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/apprenticeships-off-the-job-training
The Apprenticeship Levy is only due on annual pay bills in excess of £3 million, and is paid to HMRC through the Pay-as-you-earn (P.A.Y.E) process alongside payment of Income Tax and National Insurance contributions. It is held in a ‘digital fund’ that the employer can use to pay for apprenticeship training. A 10% contribution is added to each monthly payment by the government. Set at 0.5% of your annual pay bill, the levy is part of the government’s plans to increase the number of UK apprenticeships and improve how they are funded.
Non-levy paying employers will share the cost of training and assessing their apprentices with the government – this is called ‘co-investment’. The co-investment rate has changed for new apprenticeships starting on or after 1st April 2019. You will now pay 5% towards the cost of apprenticeship training. The government will pay the rest (95%) up to the funding band maximum.
You can get funding to pay for apprenticeship training and assessment costs through ‘The Apprenticeship Service’.
More information is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/apprenticeship-levy-how-it-will-work/apprenticeship-levy-how-it-will-work#non-levy-paying-employers
You will need an Apprenticeship Service account. You’ll use your account to:
The Adult Education Budget (AEB) is a government-funded programme that can be accessed by employers and individuals to fund a wide range of training and qualifications for all adults at the age of 19 or above: