An Apprenticeship combines a real job with the opportunity to learn new skills and develop knowledge and behaviours.

All Apprenticeship standards are placed in a funding band, which set the maximum amount of funding that can be used towards training costs over the length of the Apprenticeship. The same funding bands apply to all employers paying for Apprenticeships.

You’ll need to pay the Apprenticeship levy if your annual salary bill is £3million or more. You’ll pay 0.5% of the total amount, which is collected directly through PAYE.

The short answer is: as many as you like! – but it is important to make sure you have the right structure in place to support their development so that they get the most out of their Apprenticeship.

Absolutely! – we’ll work closely with your internal team to put together a job description and we’ll post the job on our dedicated job board. We also review CVs before sending a shortlist over to you to arrange interviews.

There is no maximum amount you can pay an apprentice, but you must pay them at least the National Minimum Wage for Apprentices (currently £4.15 per hour) if they are aged under 19 years old, or over 19 years old and in the first year of their Apprenticeship. Apprentices are entitled to the minimum wage once they are over the age of 19, or have completed their first year of their Apprenticeship.

Training is completed in a variety of ways – some training will happen in the workplace, whilst other training might take the form of assignments or research, or group workshops.

Off-the-job training is a statutory requirement for all apprentices. It means that a period equivalent to 20% of their normal working hours should be used for training that is specifically for the purpose of achieving the knowledge, skills and behaviour in their Apprenticeship. You can find out more in our guide to ‘Off-the-Job training’