Get help taking on an apprentice
Small employers who have not taken on an apprentice in the last 2 years can access advice and support from the apprenticeship brokerage service.
Applies to England
The apprenticeship brokerage service offers advice and support to employers with less than 250 employees and who do not pay the levy. The service aims to support growth in levelling up areas.
Through the service, you get one-to-one support from regional experts, known as growth partners. The support is available in several priority sectors and regions in England.
The priority sectors are:
- adult social care
- construction
- digital
- manufacturing
The priority regions are:
- Greater Manchester and East Lancashire
- Merseyside and north-west Lancashire
- Yorkshire
- the north-east
Eligibility
To access support you need to:
- operate in one of the priority regions
- offer an apprenticeship in one of the priority sectors
- have not had an apprentice start within the last 2 years
- have been trading for at least 12 months
If you’re not eligible, find out what support is available to hire an apprentice.
What you’ll get
The growth partners can offer a range of support such as:
- providing impartial advice
- helping you to consider the right apprenticeship standard for your business
- supporting you to select and work with a training provider
- discussing the most effective routes for recruiting an apprentice
- making sure you have appropriate management and administrative systems in place
They will tailor their support to your needs.
How to access support
Contact the relevant growth partner in your region to access support.
| Region | Local authority areas covered | Growth partner | Contact details |
|---|---|---|---|
| Greater Manchester and East Lancashire | Blackburn with Darwen Bolton Burnley Manchester Oldham Rochdale Salford Tameside Wigan |
Greater Manchester Learning Provider Network | matthew.l@gmlpn.co.uk |
| Merseyside and north-west Lancashire | Blackpool Knowsley Halton Liverpool St Helens Sefton Wirral |
Institute for Public Policy Research | d.cook@ippr.org |
| Yorkshire | Leeds Barnsley Bradford Doncaster Kirklees Rotherham Wakefield Sheffield |
West Yorkshire Learning Providers | Megan.Graves@wylp.org.uk |
| North-east | County Durham Darlington Gateshead Hartlepool Middlesborough South Tyneside Newcastle Upon Tyne North Tyneside Northumberland Redcar and Cleveland Sunderland Stockton |
New College Durham | Natasha.Francis@newdur.ac.uk or Nicola.Kellett@newdur.ac.uk |