Managing an Apprentice – A Step by Step Guide

Written by Andrew Johnson, Founder and CEO HRGuide - Thu 10th Oct 2024

Introduction

Apprentices are aged 16 or over and combine working with studying to gain skills and knowledge in a specific job. Apprentices can be new or current employees, and you must pay the apprentice at least the minimum wage. Apprenticeships must last at least a year, however they can last up to 5 years depending on the level the apprentice is studying. As an employer you have specific responsibilities that you must meet. Assigning the responsibility of managing and supporting your apprentice to a member of the management team will help them succeed in their qualification and training. You must ensure that your apprentice works with experienced team members and that they learn job-specific skills. They must also get adequate time off during their working week for apprenticeship training

Hiring an Apprentice

Once you decide to take on an apprentice there are several steps to follow. These are:

  • 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.
  1. Choose an apprenticeship for your business or organisation - This is a critical step. The apprentice must fit the culture of the organisation, be willing to study (for a number of years) to earn a nationally recognised qualification. This demands discipline, focus and stamina. They also need to demonstrate a passion for the job role and sector they are going to be working in.
  2. Find an organisation that offers training for the apprenticeship you’ve chosen - If you’re an employer, you can find training for your apprentices at the gov.uk.org website. Click on this link Apprenticeship training courses (education.gov.uk) You’ll find over 600 apprentice training courses from a whole range of providers. You will be able to choose an apprenticeship training course, choose a course at the right level and skills and a training provider. 
  3. Get funding for apprenticeship training - You can get help from the government to pay for apprenticeship training. This funding will go towards the cost of training and assessment. The amount you get depends on whether you pay the apprenticeship levy or not. (See our guide on the Apprenticeship Levy). 
  • If you do not pay the apprenticeship levy - If you do not pay the apprenticeship levy then you, as the employer will be expected to pay 5% towards the cost of training and assessing your apprentice. You will 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. 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%.
  • 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.

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.

     4. Create an account - 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

Use the link below to create your gov.uk One Login account.

Create your GOV.UK One Login or sign in - GOV.UK One Login (account.gov.uk)

In order to set up your account you’ll need the following:

  • 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

   5. Make an apprenticeship agreement - You must sign an apprenticeship agreement with your apprentice. This will give 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. Click this link to download a template apprentice agreement.

Apprenticeship agreement: template - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

   6. Training plan - You must sign a training plan with your apprentice and the training provider.

It must include the following:

  • 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.

You can write your own plan or use the apprenticeship training plan template. Click the link below to download a template apprenticeship training plan.

Apprenticeships: off-the-job training - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

   6. 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.

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

 

Get expert advice on apprenticeships from HRGuide

Recruiting and training apprentices not only helps your business develop the next generation of talent in your industry, it also gives young people the chance to learn a trade and gain a nationally recognised qualification. Download our more detailed step by step HR How to Guide for more detail on apprenticeships by subscribing to https://www.hrguide.co.uk/subscribe.php

If our step-by-step HR How to Guide doesn’t give you the support you need, simply call us on our HR Helpline for expert advice.