What is an Apprenticeship? An Apprenticeship is a nationally recognised, work based training programme designed to train new or existing employees aged16+. Apprenticeships are jobs with training and available at a variety of levels, allowing employees to gain valuable skills and knowledge in a specific role and industry. They can be used to attract and grow new talent, or to develop the potential of current employees including graduates, who are moving into new roles or taking on new responsibilities. They are a productive and effective way to grow your business and develop a more motivated and skilled workforce.
How will employing an apprentice benefit my company? Employing an Apprentice can bring numerous benefits to your business including: • increased productivity. • increased employee satisfaction. • increased loyalty and commitment. • reduced staff turnover. Apprentices will be trained to understand how your industry works, helping to ensure your future workforce is exactly the way you want it to be. They can generate new ideas and creativity to expand your business and are a cost-effective way of achieving a return on investment.
What training do I need to provide? You will need to train a new apprentice in their job role and provide them with a mentor, as you would with any new member of staff. The apprentice however, may need a little more support, especially if they have not worked in your industry before or are learning a new role. We will visit your premises every 4 to 6 weeks to help with the training and guide your apprentice through their programme.
How much does it cost to employ an apprentice? Apprentices are employees of your company and you are responsible for paying your apprentice’s wage. You must pay at least the Apprenticeship minimum wage and can find out more by clicking here. The Apprenticeship minimum wage relates to apprentices aged 16 to 18, or aged 19 and above in the first year of their Apprenticeship. For apprentices aged under 25, you may not need to pay National Insurance contributions during their training. Find out more by clicking here.
What days and hours do apprentices work? Apprentices are employees of your company, with the same rights and responsibilities as any other employee. As such, you will decide the days and hours you would like apprentices to work (which must be at least 30 hours per week), their rest breaks and paid holiday entitlement etc, in line with Employment Law and the Working Hours Directive. If you employ an apprentice aged under 18, the law states that they must not work more than 8 hours per day or 40 hours per week. They are also entitled to paid holidays and rest breaks of at least 30 minutes if their shift lasts more than four and half hours.
How are disciplinary procedures handled? They are handled like any other employee’s, but NLTG are on hand to provide help and support if you feel it is necessary.
What funding and grants are available? If your apprentice is aged: • 16-18; or • 19-24 and is a care leaver or has a Local Authority Education, Health & Care Plan … you’ll receive a £1,000 incentive payment for each apprentice. Payments will be made in two equal instalments; the first once the apprentice has been on programme for 3 months and the second after the apprentice has been on programme for 12 months. (It may take up to 9 weeks after the incentive payment dates for funds to be processed and transferred). Grants may also be available but the availability and requirements for these change on a regular basis so you are best speaking to us for up-to-date information. Depending upon the size of your company, different funding arrangements are in place for Apprenticeship training. For full details, please click here.
What is the recruitment process / how do I raise a vacancy? Once you’re happy you know all you need to know about recruiting an Apprentice, you’ll need to raise an Apprenticeship vacancy with us. You can do this by contacting our Employer Engagement Team (email: eet@nltg.co.uk , tel: 01254 300779) or by clicking the ‘Have a Question’ tab to the right and completing the online enquiry form. Once we have all the vacancy details we’ll publish it on our website and other partner’s websites to attract applicants. We also offer a free 16-18 year old Recruitment Service. We’ll look at all our current 16-18 year old applicants seeking the type of job you have advertised and check if they meet your requirements. We’ll give you a call with any applicant details and see if you would like to interview them. If so, we’ll contact the applicant on your behalf to advise them of interview details. We’ll give you a call after interview to gain feedback and see if you would like to employ the applicant. If yes, we’ll inform the applicant of their start date, if not we’ll inform the applicant they were unsuccessful and repeat the process until you find the right candidate. Don’t forget if you have any exiting employees, including graduates, who you wish to train through an Apprenticeship, simply contact our Employer Engagement Team.
How does NLTG support the personal and professional development of learners? At NLTG we use a range of resources to support the personal and professional development of our learners, a number of these are created by our own experts, alongside other existing external resources. Below are just a few of the external information sources learners may access (please click on the image to be re-directed to the relevant website). The National Careers Service is a government led organisation that offers careers information, advice and guidance. They give access to useful resources to help individuals make informed choices on their short and long term career goals. Barclays LifeSkills is a free employability and financial education programme aimed at unlocking skills opportunities for learners of all ages. It is accessed through educators, organisations, families or directly, as well as specialist charity partners who work in under-represented communities providing tailored support. Prospects are the experts in graduate careers. They help to guide students, graduates and employees to a bright future with tailored information, advice and opportunities. BBC Bitesize Careers helps individuals decide what to study, plan their future career or if they just want to expand their knowledge about the world of work. This website provides information regarding personal relationships and where to access further advice.
What is required of me? If you employ an apprentice or choose to up-skill your workforce via Apprenticeships, there are some things you need to have in place. NLTG will support you through this process, with advice on the specific requirements, such as Health & Safety. To find out more, please download our Employer Handbook. As an employer you will need to ensure your apprentices: • are employed in a real job that gives them the opportunity to gain the knowledge and skills they need to pass their assessment. • are paid at least the minimum wage and have a contract of employment. • work towards an approved Apprenticeship Standard. Their training must last at least 12 months. • are paid for time spent training or studying for their Apprenticeship, whether at work or at a training provider. • have the same conditions as other employees working at similar grades or in similar roles. This includes: paid holidays; sick pay; any benefits you offer such as childcare voucher schemes; any support you offer such as coaching or mentoring.
Where can I find help and advice about employment, Safeguarding and Prevent? NLTG’s ‘Prevent Leaflet for Employers’ is available for download from the publications section of this website by clicking the image below. The following websites provide a range of information and advice. Simply click on the logo to access the relevant information. Access the ACAS website for employment information and advice. The NSPCC provides a range of advice and information about safeguarding and radicalisation. The CIPD website provides a range of mental health tips for managers. Access information on creating a Safeguarding Policy and download an example template that can be adapted to suit your organisation. Access NLTG’s ‘Safeguarding for Employers’ information leaflet here. Click the image opposite to access a short video about Prevent. Training in Safeguarding and Prevent is available from the following websites. Simply click on the relevant image to access the site. Prevent Duty – a free e-learning course to gain a greater understanding of Prevent and Channel. ProtectUK: ACT Awareness – Counter terrorism advice for employers with a range of e-learning courses. Prevent Risk Assessment – this site has a range of templates that can be adapted to suit your business. Safeguarding – access a range of comprehensive Safeguarding training courses. This website provides a range of free Safeguarding courses along with a number of other resources.
Where can I signpost learners who may need additional support? In addition to support from NLTG Tutors and our Safeguarding Team, your Apprentice / Learner has access to a key number of sites that they may find useful depending on the situation. Below is an example of the landing page they can access via the NLTG Learning Hub. To support your understanding of the various sites, we have also provided the same links below, which you may wish to review / go through with your apprentice / learner in order to signpost them appropriately and to provide suitable support, as soon as possible. The specific sites offering help and support are listed below. Please click on the relevant images to access the site. This website is specifically dedicated to educating learners about being safe online and what to do if something goes wrong. This site provides Apprentices / Learners with a greater understanding of what is, and what is not, a healthy relationship. WHYSUP is a local organisation within the Lancashire / Manchester area providing real life experience and guidance for Apprentices / Learners on an array of issues. This site specifically focuses on the prevention of suicide. This is the Government’s dedicated Prevent website, providing education resources, information and links to provide an understand of the Prevent Duty and how to comply with it. The Hub of Hope is a really useful website for an Apprentice / Learner to find the most local support in their area, by entering their postcode and stating what type of help they are seeking. ACAS is the Government organisation for both employers and Apprentices / Learners if they are looking for employment advice which is free, impartial and accessible via email or phone. The Mix is a dedicated support site for Apprentices / Learners under the age of 25, offering a variety of contact methods which may be more preferable to learners, ie texting and online chats (including other typical methods such as support via phone). This organisation specifically focuses on an array of Mental Health conditions. Similar to Papyrus, this site offers a wider array of support in a number of areas. This Government site focuses more on education for a number of audiences, signposting to Government approved support services and content, along with other general advice. The following reporting tools / sites are also available to our Apprentices and Learners. In addition to reaching out to an NLTG Tutor in cases of a safeguarding concern, your Apprentice / Learner can also report a concern via our Learning Hub by clicking on the tile shown opposite and completing a report form. One of our Safeguarding Team will respond to the report within 24 – 48 hours. (Please note, this facility can only be accessed via the NLTG Learning Hub itself). This link in the NLTG Learning Hub provides a reporting mechanism for learners to raise Prevent concerns to NLTG’s Safeguarding Team. (Please note, this facility can only be accessed via the NLTG Learning Hub itself). This site is dedicated to the reporting of online sexual abuse. Please click on the image opposite to access this site. This site is an extension of the one above and provides more reporting methods, support relating to unwanted content, along with other general advice. Please click on the image opposite to access this site. NLTG Apprentices / Learners study a number of topics on a frequent basis, all available via the NLTG Learning Hub. These are accessible within the ‘SEW’ (Safe, Equal & Well) tile on the Hub, which also provides access to historical topics, ie Gambling, Equality & Diversity, Sex and Sexual Orientation. (Please note, this facility can only be accessed via the NLTG Learning Hub itself).
