Apprentices are aged 16 or over and combine working with studying to gain skills and knowledge in a specific job. This guidance is for employers in England. There’s a different way to employ an: apprentice in Scotland apprentice in Wales apprentice in Northern Ireland Apprentices can be new or current employees. You must pay the apprentice at least the minimum wage . Apprenticeships must last at least a year. They can last up to 5 years depending on the level the apprentice is studying. Your responsibilities You’re responsible for making sure your apprentice: works with experienced staff learns job-specific skills gets time off during their working week for apprenticeship training Hiring an apprentice There are several steps to taking on an apprentice. Choose an apprenticeship for your business or organisation. Find an organisation that offers training for the apprenticeship you’ve chosen. Check what training funding you can get . Create an account - you need this to manage funding and recruit apprentices. Advertise your apprenticeship - find out how to create an advert or give your training provider permission to do this for you. Make an apprenticeship agreement and training plan with your chosen apprentice. If you do not want to hire and train the apprentice yourself, you can use a flexi-job apprenticeship agency . The apprentice will be employed by the agency but will work in your organisation.

Get funding for apprenticeship training

You can get help from the government to pay for apprenticeship training. You might be able to get an additional payment of £1,000, depending on the apprentice you hire. What funding you can get You can get money to go towards the cost of training and assessment. The amount you get depends on whether you pay the apprenticeship levy or not. Find out if you need to pay the apprenticeship levy . If you do not pay the apprenticeship levy You pay 5% towards the cost of training and assessing your apprentice. You need to: agree a payment schedule with the training provider pay them directly for the training The government will pay the rest (95%) up to the funding band maximum . They’ll pay it directly to the training provider. If your apprentice started before 1 April 2019, you contribute 10% towards the cost of training and assessing your apprentice and the government pays the rest (90%). This rate continues until your apprentice completes their training. Use your apprenticeships service account to manage funding and provider payments. The cost of training and assessing your apprentice could be fully funded, up to the funding band maximum, depending on both your and your apprentice’s circumstances. Check the funding rules to see if you’re eligible. If you pay the apprenticeship levy You’ll get funds to spend on training and assessing your apprentices. The government will add 10%. Find out how to pay the apprenticeship levy . Use your apprenticeships service account to manage funding and provider payments. You cannot use funds from your apprenticeship service account to pay for a flexi-job apprenticeship agency’s services. Help to pay for other costs You can get £1,000 to support your apprentice in the workplace if, at the start of their apprenticeship training, they are one of the following: 16 to 18 years old (or 15 years old if the apprentice’s 16th birthday is between the last Friday of June and 31 August) 19 to 24 years old with an education, health and care (EHC) plan 19 to 24 years old and have been in care You can spend it on any costs related to their employment, for example their salary, travel costs or uniform. How and when you’ll be paid The training provider will pay you once they’ve confirmed that an apprentice is eligible. You’ll be paid in 2 instalments of £500. You’ll get the first payment 90 days after the apprenticeship started and the second payment one year after the apprenticeship started. (Training providers must pay you within 30 working days of receiving the money from the government.) You’ll only get paid if the apprentice is still employed by you when the payment is due. If an apprentice has an education, health and care (EHC) plan or has been in care, the training provider must get the apprentice’s agreement before sharing this information with you. The training provider will also need this agreement before making any payments to you.

You need to create an apprenticeships service account. You’ll use this service to: advertise apprenticeships accept employer agreements with the Department for Education (DfE) give account access to people within your organisation set permissions for training providers to allow them to do some things on your behalf (such as advertising apprenticeships) You can also use this service to add details about: your organisation(s) or company your PAYE scheme your apprentices You’ll need a GOV.UK One Login to set up or access an account. You can create one in the service using a work email address. Start now Before you start You’ll need either your organisation’s: Government Gateway username and ID number PAYE scheme reference number and Accounts Office Reference Number (AORN) You’ll also need to provide your: Companies House number, charity number or public body name email address PAYE scheme details

Make an apprenticeship agreement

You must sign an apprenticeship agreement with your apprentice. This gives details of: the skill, trade or occupation the apprentice is being trained for the name of the apprenticeship they’re working towards the start and end dates for the apprenticeship the amount of training you’ll give them You can write your own apprentice agreement or download an apprenticeship agreement template . Training plan You must sign a training plan with your apprentice and the training provider. You can write your own plan or use the apprenticeship training plan template . It must include: the planned content and schedule for training what is expected and offered by the employer, the training provider and the apprentice how to resolve queries or complaints If the apprentice has relevant experience Your apprentice could spend less time training or qualify earlier if they have relevant experience. The training provider will tell you which it will be, depending on how the training is delivered. Relevant experience includes having: qualifications, such as a National Vocational Qualification (NVQ) in a relevant subject industry or sector experience completed training, such as an IT course If the amount of training is reduced, you must agree this with both the training provider and the apprentice during the initial assessment .

Pay and conditions for apprentices

You are responsible for: giving your apprentice their contract of employment paying your apprentice’s wage signing an apprenticeship agreement Pay for apprentices You must pay apprentices at least the National Minimum Wage . There are different rates of pay for apprentices depending on their age and what year of their apprenticeship they’ve completed. The contract of employment should make it clear what wage you’ll pay your apprentice and for what hours. Aged 16 to 18 The current National Minimum Wage rate for an apprentice is £6.40 per hour. Aged 19 or over and in their first year The current National Minimum Wage rate for an apprentice is £6.40 per hour. Aged 19 or over and have completed their first year Apprentices will be entitled to the National Minimum Wage or National Living Wage rate for their age. Use the National Minimum Wage and Living Wage calculator to check if you’re paying your apprentices correctly. Conditions Apprentices must work towards an approved apprenticeship . Their training must last at least 12 months. They must be employed in a real job that gives them the opportunity to gain the knowledge and skills they need to pass their assessment. Training and study You must pay your apprentice for time spent training or studying for their apprenticeship. Apprentices must get time off during their working week for apprenticeship training. The training might take place: at their place of work somewhere else (for example, a college or training provider) online If your apprentice is also studying for English or maths qualifications required by their apprenticeship, they are entitled to paid study time during their normal working hours. Employee rights You must offer apprentices 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 Apprentices and redundancy Apprentices have the same employment rights as your other employees. Follow the process for making staff redundant if you have to make an apprentice redundant. Get legal advice if you want to end the apprenticeship early for another reason. Support for apprentices Your apprentice can get support if they’re being made redundant or are at risk of redundancy. They can get: financial and legal advice support for their health and wellbeing help finding another apprenticeship DfE Apprenticeships and Skills Helpline Telephone: 0800 015 0400 Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm

Get help employing an apprentice

You can get more information on the employer support site . If you still need help, contact the employer support service. Employer support service Telephone: 0800 015 0400 Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm Find out about call charges

Employing an apprentice

Overview

Apprentices are aged 16 or over and combine working with studying to gain skills and knowledge in a specific job.

This guidance is for employers in England. There’s a different way to employ an:

Apprentices can be new or current employees.

You must pay the apprentice at least the minimum wage.

Apprenticeships must last at least a year. They can last up to 5 years depending on the level the apprentice is studying.

Your responsibilities

You’re responsible for making sure your apprentice:

works with experienced staff
learns job-specific skills
gets time off during their working week for apprenticeship training

Hiring an apprentice

There are several steps to taking on an apprentice.

Choose an apprenticeship for your business or organisation.
Find an organisation that offers training for the apprenticeship you’ve chosen.
Check what training funding you can get.
Create an account - you need this to manage funding and recruit apprentices.
Advertise your apprenticeship - find out how to create an advert or give your training provider permission to do this for you.
Make an apprenticeship agreement and training plan with your chosen apprentice.

If you do not want to hire and train the apprentice yourself, you can use a flexi-job apprenticeship agency. The apprentice will be employed by the agency but will work in your organisation.

View a printable version of the whole guide

Employing an apprentice

Overview

Your responsibilities

Hiring an apprentice

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Employing an apprentice

Overview

Your responsibilities

Hiring an apprentice

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