Now is the time to Think Apprenticeships
Take a new look at the new financial incentives and see how Apprenticeships can help your company.
Business is tough. This year has brought additional pressure to businesses, so the Government has pledged financial incentives for businesses taking on new apprentices, to support them through Covid-19 recovery and create brilliant opportunities for apprentices.
Financial Incentives
- Up to £3,000 incentive for employers taking on a new apprentice.
- £2,000 for an Apprentice aged under 25yrs
- £1,500 for an Apprentice aged over 25yrs.
These payments are additional to the £1,000 incentive already paid for Apprentices aged under 19 (or under 25yrs with an Education and Health Care Plan):
| Incentive Categories | Age of Apprentice |
| Employer Incentive | 16-18 (£1,000) |
| Employer Incentive – Care Leaver – EHCP | 19-24 (£1,000) |
| Learner Incentive / Bursary – Local Authority Care Leaver | 16-18 & 19-24 (£1,000) |
| New additional Incentive – recruiting a new apprentice (Aug 20 – 31 Jan 2021) | 16-24 (£2,000), & 25+ (£1,500) |
Future proof your workforce with Runshaw
Our Employer Relationships Team is ready to help you with every step of securing an apprentice or upskilling your existing workforce. From your initial contact with us all the way through to appointing an apprentice or signing up an existing member of your workforce, you will have one person who will be your single point of contact. Once your apprentice is in the post, our Training team takes over as we begin to assess your apprentice against the new standards, again, there will just be one point of contact for you who will keep you regularly updated with their progress.
Upskilling your existing workforce
Access apprenticeships to develop your existing staff, boost productivity and reduce staff turnover.
Apprenticeships are a fantastic way to support succession planning and the continued professional development of your staff.
Reasons to hire an Apprentice:
Taking on an apprentice has a huge range of benefits for your business:
- 80% of companies who invest in Apprenticeships have reported a significant increase in employee retention
- 77% of employers believe apprenticeships make them more competitive
- 76% of those employers who employ apprentices agree they make their workplace more productive
- 81% of consumers favour using a company which takes on apprentices
- 92% of employers who employ apprentices believe that apprenticeships lead to a more motivated and satisfied workforce
- 83% of employers who employ apprentices rely on their Apprenticeships programme to provide the skilled workers that they need for the future
Quick steps to hiring an Apprentice:
1. Find the right type of apprenticeship training programme for your business
2. Contact our Employer Relationship Team on apprenticeships@runshaw.ac.uk or call 01772 643008
3. Work with us to advertise your apprenticeship opportunity
4. Interview your candidates and appoint!
Special Educational Needs (SEN) – Support
✅ An allocated Learning mentor ✅ Counselling services ✅ Independent Careers advice ✅ Employer SEN support guide
How the Apprenticeship Programme is funded – Levy & Government Funding
The Levy, Standards, and everything in-between!
The first stage of the levy, began in May 2017, and only affects your business if it has a payroll of over £3 million. This involves paying 0.5% of payroll costs on a monthly basis after the deduction of a £15,000 allowance. The government then tops up the fund by 10%, and the funds can be used by to buy apprenticeship training through an approved provider whilst also allowing you to get more out of the fund than they put in.
Most businesses under the £3m marker will not pay the levy and if your business has less than 50 employees and are not part of a larger group of companies it will not have to make any contribution for apprentices aged 16 to 18, and just 5% for those over.
| Employer Size | Funding Source |
| Levy Paying Employer | Funded through levy |
| 50+ employees | Employer pays 5% towards the total cost |
| Less than 50 employees – apprentice 19+ | Employer pays 5% towards the total cost |
| Less than 50 employees – apprentice 16-18 | Programme is fully funded – no employer contribution. The apprentice must be 18 when the programme starts. |
The employer is responsible for paying the apprentice, at least the National Minimum Wage for apprentices – https://www.gov.uk/become-apprentice/pay-and-conditions.
The contract of employment is between the employer and the apprentice.
20% Off the Job
It is mandatory that all apprentices have 20% of their working week “off the job” to learn new skills, improve knowledge and work on their portfolio. A large proportion of this will be covered for apprentices who attend college. For those who are on work based learning programmes, time must be agreed with the line manager to meet the off the job requirements. Further information and examples of off the job activities can be found here https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/apprenticeships-off-the-job-training
The Assessment – EPA
All Apprenticeship Programmes are known as “Standards”. At the end of the practical period of the apprenticeship the apprentice reaches gateway, at which point they are entered for an End Point Assessment (EPA), in agreement with the apprentice’s manager, mentor and trainer. The EPA is facilitated & carried out by an external organisation, the apprenticeship is complete once the EPA passed. The EPA will vary by programme, this will be outlined to you during the sign-up process and on an on-going basis by your designated trainer.
Apprenticeship Levy and Standards Information
Register your information and we will send an Apprenticeship Levy information pack to you.
