Apprenticeship FAQs for employers

Have any questions about hiring an apprentice?

Below we answer some of the questions you might have about hiring an apprentice. If you have any more questions, you can always contact our team at employers@cwa.ac.uk.

Employer guide to apprenticeships

Feel free to download the Employer Guide for Apprenticeships.

What is an apprenticeship?
What is the benefit of taking on an apprentice?

Skills shortages are still one of the biggest threats to UK business. Apprenticeships can help businesses across all industries by offering a route to harness fresh talent. If you have trained staff with the right skills for the job, they can do a wider range of tasks and take on new responsibilities – this can help to reduce skill shortages, minimise staff turnover and workplace accidents, and increase productivity.

Taking on an apprentice is cost effective because your employee can learn while they are working, and the government contributes to the costs of learning.
What are my responsibilities?
Employers have a vital role in the support of the learner. As an employer of a learner on an apprenticeship, you will be expected to provide a period of induction within the first week. You will also need to:
- organise work experience and on-the-job training for the learner, appropriate to the qualification stated in the agreement and to provide suitable and sufficient information, instruction and training to enable the learner to undertake the task given
- support the process of NVQ and technical certificates as well as key skill development, where appropriate, and, where possible, organise work experience in the context of technical certificates and key skills to achieve within agreed timescales as identified in the Individual Learning Plan
- nominate a named work based assessor or recorder (where applicable) and allocate sufficient time to carry out appropriate responsibilities
- provide opportunities for the learner to demonstrate competence in specific tasks.
- provide an assessment of the learner’s progress on a regular basis
- help the learner collect evidence in the work they have done
- allow access to college assessors and training advisors to support progress towards the NVQ, through work based assessment and reviews, as required.
Is there a cost to the employer?

Like all employees, apprentices must receive a wage appropriate to the job they are doing. There is also the cost of the supervision, support and mentoring that you will need to put in place to support them. The cost of training for 16-18 year old apprentices is fully funded by the government. However, if the apprentice is 19 or over, an employer contribution is expected. Please contact us for further details.

If an apprentice is aged 24 or older and wishes to study a level 3 qualification as part of an advanced level apprenticeship (ALA), fees will be payable.The employer must also supply PPE (personal protection equipment) where relevant, and ensure that the learner is covered by their employer liability insurance.
What does the apprentice get from the college?

Our job is to ensure that the training fits the apprentices’ personal requirements, offers the skills needed for the job and satisfies national standards. We are also able to offer them personal and learning support. When you take on an apprentice, we will appoint a training advisor who will work with you to make sure that the training is well planned. Once the apprentice begins, they will follow their progress (including regular three-way reviews with the employer and learner) and deal with any issues that may arise.
Is there a limit to the number of apprentices an employer can have?
Where do apprenticeships take place?
What levels of apprenticeships are available?
How long does the training last?
What is the Apprenticeship levy?

Employers operating within the UK, in any sector, with a pay bill of more than £3million per year on which there is a liability to pay secondary Class 1 NICs, will be asked to pay the apprenticeship levy.

0.5% of an employer’s pay bill, on which there is a liability to pay secondary Class 1 NICs, will be collected monthly via PAYE. Employers (subject to connected companies rules) will have an allowance of £15,000, which means that the levy is only applicable on a pay bill over £3 million.

Example 1: Levy paying employer
Employer of 250 employees, each with a gross salary of £20,000 would pay:

Pay bill: 250 x £20,000 = £5,000,000
Levy sum: 0.5% x £5,000,000 = £25,000
Allowance: £25,000 – £15,000 = £10,000 annual levy payment

Example 2: Non-levy paying employer
Employer of 100 employees, each with a gross salary of £20,000 would pay:

Pay bill: 100 x £20,000 = £2,000,000
Levy sum: 0.5% x £2,000,000 = £10,000
Allowance: £10,000 – £15,000 = £0 annual levy payment

Individual employers’ funding for apprenticeship training in England will then be made available to them via the digital apprenticeship service. Employers will be able to use their levy funds to pay for training and assessment for apprentices in England.
What is the digital apprenticeship service?
Whether you pay the levy or not, the digital apprenticeship service will help you to:
- select an apprenticeship framework or standard
- choose the training provider or providers you want to deliver the training
- choose an assessment organisation
- advertise and recruit to apprenticeship vacancies.
More information about the levy has been published here.
What about employers who do not pay the levy?

Employers with a pay bill of less than £3 million will not pay the levy. The government will provide financial support for non-levy paying employers to take on apprenticeships, but these employers will be expected to make a small financial contribution to the cost of training and assessment in partnership with Government.

For a relatively small contribution, smaller employers can get significant benefits from employing apprentices. Research shows that many employers are able to recoup the cost of training within 1 or 2 years of training finishing and 82% of employers were satisfied with the programme and 70% reported that apprenticeships improved the quality of their product or service. Asking non-levied employers to pay a contribution towards the cost of apprenticeship training is only fair when larger employers are contributing towards the cost of their apprenticeships. It also helps put employers in the driving seat for influencing their choices and interacting with their training providers.

If employers do not pay the levy, they will not need a digital apprenticeship service account to pay the training provider, such as CWA, in April 2017. Non levy paying employers will agree a price and pay their co-investment to the training provider directly. Government will also pay its contribution to the provider directly.
How can I get more information about apprenticeship funding?
Do I need to use the Apprenticeship Service Account?

It is mandatory from 1^st April 2021 for all employers regardless if they are levy or non-levy to use the apprenticeship service account. The account provides the means for the college to receive the funding for the apprenticeship. The videos in the answers below will help those employers not already set up on the service.Or contact us for our support with the process at employers@cwa.ac.uk.
Is there a Safeguarding Policy for employers?