Apprenticeships for Employers – FAQs

Are you considering bringing apprenticeships into your business? Here we answer your frequently asked questions about how apprenticeships work.

How do I introduce apprenticeships into my organisation?

You have two choices: create apprenticeship vacancies (a new job) within your organisation and place a job advert for it, or upskill your existing staff with an apprenticeship programme.

For either option, call us on 0207 391 6400 or email: employer@capitalcct.ac.uk and we will take you through the next steps.

Why should I choose Apprenticeships+ as your training provider?

We have links with more than 500 organisations and hundreds of business leaders. These networks equip us with the scope and insight to design our courses for a range of industry occupations. We are also rated ‘Good’ by apprentices and employers, and as an organisation we are rated ‘Good’ by Ofsted‘. Check out our reviews here: Capital City College – training provider

Our apprenticeships cover a variety of work sectors – from business and commerce to health and social care, and our list of expertise is constantly growing.

Our experienced teachers and trainers have hands-on industry expertise. All our programmes are designed to fit the industry-approved map of core skills and knowledge needed for a particular job, and we will work with you to customise the training to suit your specific business needs.

How do I unlock the available funding?

Apprenticeships are funded by the Government’s Apprenticeship Levy. We will help you understand the funding arrangements and how to access it, and support you through each stage to make sure you unlock all the funding available to your business.

Will I get support with recruiting, screening and selecting apprentices?

Yes, our resourcing team will help you advertise your vacancy, interview and shortlist applicants – all completely free of charge. We will help you find the right person, whether you are hiring a new recruit or developing someone from your existing team.

Do you offer free recruitment support?

Each year, more than 100,000 business leaders in over 170 industries employ apprentices across the UK. As part of our offer for employers, we provide a free, fully managed apprenticeship hire service. We will help you hire an apprentice who is the right fit for your organisation and manage their training programme from induction to certification.

We have helped employers in a number of business sectors, including:

IT and digital design
Healthcare and social care
Management and team-leading
Digital media, administration and customer service
Hospitality and culinary arts
Science
Facilities and property management
Legal services and accounting

You can find our full list of apprenticeship sectors and industries here.

Apprentices who complete our training are work-ready and equipped with externally recognised and quality-assessed qualifications. Some are award-winners in their sectors, advancing working practices with resourcefulness and dedication. Our college is a source of high-quality candidates, with around 37,000 students looking to enter the workforce.

What are the benefits of hiring an apprentice?

An apprenticeship helps you to build a better business by upskilling your workforce with new knowledge and qualifications.

Recruiting a new apprentice: apprentices are eager to learn and add energy and enthusiasm to your workplace. A diverse range of people apply for our apprenticeships. You can expect applicants of any age, some of whom are looking to change careers and are excited to work in a new industry.

Upskilling existing staff: when you upskill your existing staff, this increases their morale and helps improve staff retention.

We work with you to design training programmes that are uniquely relevant and responsive to your business needs.

What is an apprenticeship?

Apprenticeships are a work-based training programme that allows individuals aged 16+ to gain knowledge, skills and behaviours in a particular subject area whilst working. At the end of the programme, the apprentice will receive a nationally recognised qualification.

Apprenticeships allow individuals to earn while they learn, get new skills and knowledge whilst working, and progress within an organisation or career path. For employers, hiring an apprentice is an opportunity to recruit motivated employees and teach them the skills that their organisation needs.

Our training and support programmes for apprentices include:

Mentoring with industry professional teachers
Skills development plans relevant to the apprentices’ role
On-site additional industry and soft skills training
Access to the college’s state-of-the-art training facilities

What is the commitment for us as an employer?

Apprentices can be new employees or current employees already working for you. Your apprentice should:

be 16 years old or older by the end of the summer holidays
not be in full-time education
work in a role that is relevant to their apprenticeship
work enough paid hours each week to undertake sufficient training to achieve their apprenticeship
live in England

Your commitment to them is:

A contract of employment that is at least long enough to allow them to complete their apprenticeship successfully
Pay your apprentice at least the National Minimum Wage for apprentices, or their usual wage if they are an existing member of staff
A job role (or roles) that enables them to gain the knowledge, skills and behaviours they need to achieve their apprenticeship
Allow your apprentice to combine learning in the workplace with formal off-the-job training
Pay them for off-the-job training

What is the cost of an apprenticeship?

If you create an apprenticeship vacancy, you will need to pay them at least the minimum national wage for apprentices (which varies depending on the age of the apprentice). If you are upskilling an existing member of staff, you will need to carry on paying them their usual salary and not deduct any salary for classroom-based learning.

The apprentice will need to spend 20% of their normal working hours on training, which might happen every week, every month or in a separate block of time, depending on the type of apprenticeship.

There are also some other costs depending on the size of your organisation. We will decode all of this for you and help you understand exactly how much taking on apprentices will cost you in monetary terms. We will also help you understand the Levy Transfer process which can help support the cost of taking on apprentices.

Can apprentices work part time?

Full-time apprentice work at least 30 hours a week. Full-time apprentices should spend at least six hours a week on training.

Part-time apprentices work fewer than 30 hours a week. The amount of training part-time apprentices will do a week can vary, but this must still make up at least 20% of their working hours.

What are Maths and English functional skills?

If an apprentice hasn’t already achieved their Maths and English GCSE or Equivalent Grades A*-C or Grades 4-9, there is funding available to help them achieve this.

Contact us to learn more about how we can unlock funding for this, and how your apprentice can achieve these grades either before or during the apprenticeship (depending on the timetable).

What do you need from me to start the apprenticeships process?

We will give you a checklist of everything that you need to do, and offer you guidance at every stage. Examples of tasks that you will need to do are below, but don’t worry, we will help you with these!

Create an apprenticeship service account
Sign a contract of employment with your apprentice
Sign a training plan
Complete the health and safety questionnaire and provide an Employer Liability Insurance Certificate

How do I know which apprenticeship is the right choice for my business needs?

Meet with us to find out if an apprenticeship or a different route is the best option for your business. We will look at your skills gaps or vacancies, and discuss with you the options available.