An Employers’ Guide to

Apprenticeships

Case Studies 2

Apprenticeships 3

Apprentice Roles 3

The Assessor 4

Recruitment 4

Funding and Centralised Grants 4

Apprenticeships Framework 5

Length of an Apprenticeship 5

On-the-job learning 6

Off-the-job learning 6

The Apprentice wage 7

Hours and holiday entitlement 7

Health and safety 7

Safeguarding 7

Pastoral Support 7

l l l l l l l l l l l l l

l l

l l

l l

l l

l l

l l

l

2

Contents

Why our Employers Value their Apprentices and what they have to say:

NetSupport, based in Market Deeping, provides innovative solutions to aid the management of desktop computers and their users in over 90 countries worldwide. NetSupport is a longstanding supporter of IT Apprenticeships within their business. Andy Earp, Tech Support Manager, explained that NetSupport’s technical support department recruit and train apprentices whose skills can be moulded to the business.

enriched.it , based in Market Deeping, specialise in delivering high quality curriculum enrichment solutions in primary schools.

Scott Johnson, Supporting Teaching and Learning in Schools apprentice at enriched.it, stood out from the crowd time and time again for his fantastic attitude and eagerness to learn. In light of his success, Scott was presented with the College’s Apprentice of the Term Award, Spring 2015.

“At NetSupport we’re

dedicated to giving apprentices

an experience that will let them nurture

their interests, whilst giving them the

skills they need to become a core part

of our business. Technical support is

a really busy department. It demands

great customer service but also passion

and flare for IT. Our employees need to

become completely at home with the

NetSupport products – making

in-house training a priority. “

Andy Earp, Technical Support

Manager

Scott Johnson from Enriched IT, receives his

Apprentice of the Term Award, Spring 2015.

These are just some of the questions employers have been asking us.As a Training Provider we feel that fully understanding your needs is key to enabling the delivery of an exceptional service where everyone can succeed.

So let’s start with you, the employer.

You may have decided to explore the apprenticeship programmes because you are keen to provide a young person with a real opportunity, after all nurturing fresh talent can be exciting and rewarding whilst providing you with the means to meet future succession plans.

This is where we can help.

Apprentice RolesApprentices can fulfil a number of roles within all businesses, from Administrators to Catering to Motor Vehicle.

Depending on the type of role you require, an Apprenticeship can be tailored to suit the requirements of the job role. This provides greater flexibility and ensures that your apprentice is being trained to meet the needs of your business and the role you require.

Is supportinga young persongoing to be time

consuming?

What exactly does an

Apprenticeship programme look like?

What support

and fundingis available?

How will it work?

96% of Employers who take on an Apprentice say their business benefited

apprenticeships.org.uk, 2014

l l

l l

l l

l l

l l

l l

l l

l l

l l

l l

l l

l l

l l

l l

l l

l l

l l

l l

l l

l l

l l

l l

l l

l l

l l

l l

l l

l l

l l

l l

l l

l l

l l

l l

l l

l l

l l

l l

l l

l

3

The AssessorThe Assessor is responsible for delivering the qualification and carrying out the assessment. An Assessor will be assigned to your Apprentice and will visit them in the workplace to provide training and assess their competence against a set of agreed standards.

The first few weeks of the qualification can often be the most challenging for an Apprentice as they settle into their studies and the work environment. As an employer you can help by reviewing the ‘Individual Learning Plan’ with your Apprentice and their Assessor. This process will help identify which units of the qualification are covered by the Apprentice’s current job role, therefore ensuring that the qualification is tailored towards meeting your needs.

RecruitmentThe National Apprenticeship Service offers an on-line service which can be used to advertise and recruit an Apprentice role for you. In order to use this service a training provider, such as City College Peterborough, will be required.

City College Peterborough offers a free recruitment service for your Apprentice role. We will advertise the positions and screen all applicants prior to sending their details over to your company for consideration. City College Peterborough will assess the applicant’s Functional English and Functional Maths as well as their IT abilities before suggesting them for the position. As the employer you will be able to shortlist candidates and hold interviews in order to select the candidate that is right for you.

To help with recruitment you may wish to consider the option of offering a Traineeship. These programmes provide young learners with work experience and work preparation training and act as a stepping stone into an Apprenticeship. This will allow you to assess their suitability for an Apprentice role.To find out more about Traineeships go to www.apprenticeships.org.uk/employers. You can also discuss this with one of our Recruitment Advisers.

Funding and Centralised GrantsThere is Government funding available to contribute towards the costs of recruiting and training an Apprentice. Whilst the Government will fully fund the apprenticeship programmes for learners aged between 16-18 years old, they only provide 50% of the costs for learners aged 19 and over. For learners aged 24 and older the amount of funding is lower and not always available. You can apply for funding through City College Peterborough. They will be able to advise you on the funding available and how it is paid. For Apprentices 19 and over, there may be a contribution required, but this would be discussed with the College’s Recruitment Adviser.

As an employer of an Apprentice you may be eligible for an AGE 16 to 24 grant. For more information visit www.apprenticeships.org.uk/AGE.

Over 220,000 Workplaces already offering Apprenticeships apprenticeships.org.uk, 2014

l l l l l l l l l l l l l

l l

l l

l l

l l

l l

l l

l

4

l l

l l

l l

l l

l l

l l

l l

l l

l l

l l

l l

l l

l l

l l

l l

l l

l l

l l

l l

l l

l l

l l

l l

l l

l l

l l

l l

l l

l l

l l

l l

l l

l l

l l

l l

l l

l l

l l

l l

l

Apprenticeship FrameworkAll Apprenticeship frameworks are linked to specific job roles or occupations. There are three levels of Apprenticeship available for those aged 16 and over:

Intermediate Level Apprenticeships Advanced Level Apprenticeships Higher Apprenticeships

A typical framework for each level includes:

l A nationally recognised vocational Qualification (NVQ / Diploma)l Functional skills: English, maths and ICTl A technical certificate that covers knowledge of sector areal Personal Learning and Thinking Skillsl Employee Rights and Responsibilities

City College Peterborough’s frameworks for Apprenticeships:

Intermediate (Level 2) Advanced (Level 3) Higher (Level 4/5)

Business Administration 3 3 3

Customer Service 3 3

IT Professional 3 3 3

IT Application Specialist 3 3

Social Media & Digital Marketing 3

Team Leading 3

Management 3 3

Motor Vehicle 3

Warehousing & Storage 3 3

Childcare 3 3

Health & Social Care 3 3 3

Catering/Food & Drink 3 3

Supporting Teaching & Learning in Schools 3 3

Length of an ApprenticeshipThe length of an Apprenticeship varies depending on prior skill levels of the Apprentice, the qualification being obtained and the industry sector.

Generally, the minimum amount of time for an Apprenticeship takes to complete is 12 months.

www.citycollegepeterborough.ac.uk 5

l l l l l l l l l l l l l

l l

l l

l l

l l

l l

l l

l

6

On-the-job LearningAs an employer it is important that you provide your Apprentice with an induction into their role and continual on-the-job learning. Through on-the-job learning an Apprentice will develop job-specific skills that will enable them to fulfil the role and meet the requirements of their qualification.

During the course of the Apprenticeship you can support your Apprentice by the following:

Apprentices will be required to gather evidence during their apprenticeship which supports and evidences their competency. City College Peterborough will provide assessment materials, a portfolio and access to the College’s Virtual Learning Environment (VLE).

Evidence can be collected in many forms and is acceptable, as long as it helps to prove competence. This may include a written witness testimony, recording of a professional discussion, notes or an observation etc.

Off-the-job LearningAs part of their programme your Apprentice will be required to study a professional qualification. This will include self-study, completion of online learning and assessments, and one-to-one sessions with an Assessor either in person or remotely.

In order to support your Apprentice with their studies it is good practice to allow your Apprentice scheduled time within the working week to concentrate on their professional qualification, usually an hour per week is recommended.

Help to planBy identifying activities that can be used to generate evidence and setting targets for achievement and assessment.

Observe and analyseMonitor your Apprentice and check their work regularly. Record any areas for improvement and give opportunities for practice.

Give feedbackDiscuss performance with your Apprentice ensuring they input to the process. Be positive about things they have done well and be open and honest about any areas for improvement.

Explain or demonstrateDiscuss ways of improving techniques and, if possible, use examples of similar work or demonstrate better techniques.

Provide opportunitiesEnsure your Apprentice has the opportunity to practice and develop their skills and aim to allocate activities which will encourage them. If possible, change their routines regularly to add a variety of tasks and provide further opportunities to learn.

www.citycollegepeterborough.ac.uk 7

The Apprentice WageEmployers are responsible for paying an Apprentice’s wages and issuing their Contract of Employment. Apprentices must be paid at least the Apprenticeship National Minimum Wage.

l Apprentices who are aged 19 and over but within the first year of their Apprenticeship will be paid the Apprenticeship National Minimum Wage. l Individuals not falling into these categories should be paid the Standard National Minimum Wage rate for their age band.

For more guidance on the current National Minimum Wage go to: www.gov.uk/national-minimum-wage-rates

Apprentices are also entitled to statutory Maternity and Sick Pay.

Hours and Holiday EntitlementBoth the employer and City College Peterborough have a duty to ensure that the environment within your work place is safe, secure and that the company complies with basic Health and Safety law. Therefore, prior to an Apprentice starting within your workplace, the Assessor will require a copy of the Company’s Employers’ Liability Insurance certificate and will carry out a Health and Safety Assessment.

For further guidance please visit the HSE website: hse.gov.uk/youngpeople/apprentices.htm

SafeguardingCity College Peterborough has a statutory and moral duty to ensure that it functions with a view to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of the children and vulnerable adults receiving education and training. This includes ensuring that we have robust Safeguarding and Child Protection Policies in place and they are shared with employers. The Recruitment Officer will discuss this policy with you and provide you with a copy of our policy, including what you should do if you have any concerns with the well being of your Apprentice.

Pastoral SupportFor those Apprentices that require additional pastoral support, whether from the start of the programme or identified at a later stage, then this can be arranged with the Assessor and a Support Worker will work on a one-to-one basis to ensure the Apprentice’s needs are met.

l l l l l l l l l l l l l

l l

l l

l l

l l

l l

l l

l

8

Further Information

If you require any further information or guidance on Apprenticeships or help,

please contact our Recruitment team at City College Peterborough,

John Mansfield Campus, Western Avenue, Dogsthorpe, Peterborough, PE1 4HX

Tel: 01733 555197

www.citycollegepeterborough.ac.uk