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F O R Y O U

APPRENTICESHIPS

F O R Y O U R B U S I N E S S

EMPLOYERS GUIDE TO

City College Peterborough “The heart of Peterborough Business Community.”

A message from the Principal

Thank you for taking the time to read our Employer Guide

to Apprenticeships which shows our professional employer

engagement service dedicated to employers wishing to explore or

recruit apprenticeships now and in the future.

In my six years, as Principal of City College Peterborough, I have had

the honour to visit and meet with some of the most interesting, diverse

and innovative businesses within Peterborough’s business community.

What has been evident from the start is the passion and outstanding

success apprenticeships bring to any business. Through recruiting

high quality apprentices, those employers have reaped the rewards,

through better trained employees, who build expertise, increase their

staff skills base and improve productivity, growth and sustainability to

their business.

To support the success of those businesses our proven track record is

evident in our recent Ofsted inspection (November 2016) which

highlighted the Colleges outstanding ethos on employer engagement;

"Highly effective employer engagement and recognises that

apprenticeship provision has grown significantly over the past few

years with success rates well above national rates".

If, as an employer, you are already successfully employing apprentices

but need to know more about the recent Government changes to

apprenticeships or you are new to apprenticeships and considering

recruiting an apprentice for the first time, then here at City College

Peterborough we can provide you with a professional and

experienced employer account manager dedicated to serving

employers in the world of apprenticeships.

We can’t wait to speak to you,

Pat Carrington

Principal of City College Peterborough

CONTENTS

Service Offer

Benefits

Funding

Apprenticeship Levy

Recruitment

How it Works for your Business

Frameworks/Standards

Length of an Apprenticeship

Employer Requirements

The Apprentice Wage

Health & Safety

Safeguarding

Pastoral Support

Work Experience & Volunteering

Supported Internships

Case Studies

Why employ an apprentice?

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What We Can Offer Your Business

Dedicated account manager

Training needs analysis undertaken to identify individual needs

Interview support management

Free recruitment service

Tailored programmes

Dedicated email address

Free Vacancy Advertising and Recruitment Service

City College Peterborough offers a free recruitment service for your

apprenticeship 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 skills in English and maths, as well as their ICT

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.

Tailored Apprenticeship Programmes

Apprentices can fulfil a number of roles within all businesses, from

administration to catering through to team leading and management.

Depending on the type of role you require, an apprenticeship can be

tailored to suit the requirements of your 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.

of employers reported that apprenticeships improved the quality of their product or service

www.gov.uk, 2017

Why Invest in an Apprentice?

Develop your Apprentice into a Valuable Team Member

An apprentice brings a huge return on investment for you as an employer. The pay rate for an apprentice

depends upon numerous factors, but the recruitment team at City College Peterborough will be more than

happy to explain this in further detail.

The National Minimum Wage for apprentices applies to those who are aged under 19 and those who are

aged 19 or over and in the first year of their apprenticeship. All other apprentices are entitled to the

National Minimum Wage for their age. You can find out more about the current National Minimum Wage

for apprentices on www.gov.uk/national-minimum-wage-rates.

An apprentice can enter your business, as a

novice or be an existing member of staff and you

will quickly see their productivity increase, their

knowledge expand and their capabilities

strengthen.

With an apprentice from City College

Peterborough you can feel reassured that your

apprentice will be an ideal organisational fit, as

they will have learnt and developed according to

your business needs and your working

practices. Apprentices will transfer new ideas and

fresh thinking into the workplace.

Motivate & Increase your Workforce's Productivity

Not only do apprenticeships deliver real financial

returns, they help to improve productivity for you

and to be more competitive. Training apprentices

is more cost effective than hiring skilled staff,

leading to lower overall training and recruitment

costs.

Apprentices are often motivated, dedicated

members of a team as they learn, earn and gain

hands-on experience. Here at City College

Peterborough we have a great variety of

apprenticeship programmes available for anyone

aged 16 and over, and we are always looking for

businesses to step on board too.

If you would like to know more about how an apprentice can benefit your business, please contact 01733 293899 or email: apprenticeships@citycollegepeterborough.ac.uk

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of employers say that productivity has improved

www.gov.uk, 2017

Funding for Apprenticeships

Due to the reforms that were introduced in May 2017, the funding for

apprenticeships is now dependent upon the age of the apprentice and

the number of employees within the company. For some apprentices

aged 16-18 the Government will fully fund the programme, with others

there may be a 10% contribution and for some employers the costs

will be provided from their levy pot/digital account. In addition, there

are incentives available for certain apprentices. We understand that

this can be confusing for employers, so please do not hesitate to

contact one of our team on 01733 293899 to discuss this

further. Further information on funding is available at

www.apprenticeships.org.uk.

The Government introduced the Apprenticeship Levy to improve the

quality and quantity of apprenticeships in England. Apprenticeships

benefit employers and individuals by boosting the skills of their

workforce and help to improve economic productivity.

The reforms will give employers more control over designing,

choosing and paying for apprenticeship training. The Government will

double the annual level of apprenticeship spending to £2.5bn, which

will be funded by the new Apprenticeship Levy. The Government

target is 3 million apprenticeships by 2020.

Employers with a wage bill less than £3 million will not pay the levy

but will contribute 10% towards the cost of the apprenticeship training

and assessing and the Government will co-invest the remaining 90%.

Employers with a wage bill of £3 million or more will pay into the Levy.

This is 0.5% of their wage bill which is topped up monthly by 10%

from the Government. There is also £15,000 allowance to offset

against this each year. This is paid into their digital account to be

spent on apprenticeships.

Employers with less than 50 employees will not have to pay towards

an apprenticeship, when taking on an apprentice aged between 16-

18.

When an employer takes on an apprentice aged 16-18 they will

receive a £1000 grant to help towards additional costs such a

equipment and support.

Apprenticeship Levy

Please do not hesitate to contact on 01733 293899 to discuss this

further or email apprenticeships@citycollegepeterborough.ac.uk

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How it works for your Business

You will be appointed an assessor who is responsible for delivering the apprenticeship and carrying out

any apprentice assessments. They will support you and your apprentice throughout the process. This

could include visits to your workplace to provide training and to assess their competence against a set of

standards or by delivering workshops within the college.

The first few weeks of the apprenticeship can be the most challenging for an apprentice as they settle into

the work environment. As an employer, you will need to provide a mentor to support them through their

apprenticeship. We will ensure that the apprenticeship is tailored to meeting your needs and the

apprentices job role.

The 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 skills in English and maths as well as their

ICT abilities before suggesting them for a 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.gov.uk/findtraineeships. You can also discuss this with

one of our account managers.

The Recruitment

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All apprenticeship frameworks/standards are linked to specific job roles or occupations. There are three levels of apprenticeships available for those aged 16 and over.

Apprenticeship Framework/Standard

Intermediate Level Apprenticeships (Level 2)

Advanced Level Apprenticeships (Level 3)

Higher Level Apprenticeships (Levels 4 & 5)

A typical framework for each level includes:

A nationally recognised vocational qualification (NVQ/Diploma)Functional skills: English, maths and ICTA principal certificate that covers knowledge of sector areaPersonal Learning and Thinking SkillsEmployee Rights and Responsibilities

City College Peterborough's apprenticeships:

Length of an Apprenticeship

The length of an apprenticeship varies depending on the prior skills level of the apprentice, the qualification being obtained and the industry sector.

The minimum amount of time for an apprenticeship is 12 months.

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On-the-job Learning

Help to Plan

As an employer, it is important that you provide your apprentice with an introduction 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 programme.

During the course of the apprenticeship you can support your apprentice by the following;

Provide Opportunities

By identifying activities that can be used to

generate evidence and setting targets for

achievement and assessment.

Ensure 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.Observe and Analyse

Monitor your apprentice and check their work

regularly. Record any areas for improvement and

give opportunities for practice.Evidence of Learning

Apprentices will be required to gather evidence

during their apprenticeship which supports and

evidences their competency. City College

Peterborough will provide assessment materials,

an online portfolio and access to the Colleges'

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

testimony, notes or an observation etc.

Give Feedback

Discuss 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 Demonstrate

Discuss ways of improving techniques and, if

possible, use examples of similar work or

demonstrate better techniques.Off-the-job Learning

As part of their programme your apprentice will

be required to complete 20% off-the-job training.

This can take place in their normal place of work

but must not be part of their normal role and

must be directly relevant to their apprenticeship.

This can include shadowing, attending theory

sessions, mentoring, writing assignments,

building their portfolio and attending meetings.

The apprentice will be required to keep a log of

these to show that they are meeting this

requirement. Support from you and the assessor

will assist them with this.

Functional Skills Courses

As part of the apprenticeship framework/standard,

your apprentice may be required to up-skill in

functional maths and English in order to complete

their programme. These requirements will be

discussed at your sign-up meeting with

our account managers.

You may need to release your apprentice from

their workplace to attend classes, if required. A

member of the apprenticeship team will contact

you to arrange a convenient date for them to

attend.

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The Apprentice Wage

Employers 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.This applies to

those who are:

For more guidance on the current National Minimum Wage go to:

www.gov.uk/national-minimum-wage-rates

Health and Safety

Both the employer and City College Peterborough have a duty to

ensure that the environment within your workplace is safe, secure

and that the company complies with basic health and safety law.

Therefore, prior to an apprentice starting within your work

place, your account manager will require a copy of the

company's Employer Liability Insurance certificate and will carry

out a health and safety assessment.

Pastoral Support

For further guidance please visit the HSE website:

hse.gov.uk/youngpeople/apprentices.htm

Safeguarding

City 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 places and they

are shared with employers. Your account manager will discuss the

policy with you and provide you with a copy, including what you

should do if you have any concerns with the wellbeing of your

apprentice.

For those apprentices that require additional pastoral support,

whether from the start of the programme or identified at a

later stage, 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.

Aged under 19.

Apprentices who are aged 19 and over but within the first year

of their apprenticeship.

Individuals not falling into these categories should be paid the

standard National Minimum Wage rate for their age band.

Apprentices are also entitled to statutory Maternity and Sick Pay.

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Work Experience & Volunteering

Would you be willing to help to develop the personal, social and

employability skills of our learners?

We believe that it is important to develop these skills so that our

learners understand the standards that are expected in the

workplace and how to become an important part of their

community.

We believe that by completing work experience or volunteering will

help to build up their confidence and that by combining this with

their technical skills, it will make them more ready for employment.

By offering work experience or volunteering within your workplace

then it will enable you to gain insight and feedback from a

different perspective and will be a rewarding experience for all of

those involved.

The duration and timing of the placements can be flexible to meet

your needs and ensure that they suit both parties.

We have dedicated team of work experience officers in place who

will assist you throughout the process and you will be allocated a

named individual to support you as your point of contact.

Supported Internships

In addition to work experience and volunteering opportunities, we

also offer supported internships for learners with learning difficulties

or disabilities.

This is a highly rewarding programme and you will be fully

supported throughout the whole process by a dedicated member of

staff. This will help to develop you from being fully supported to

working independently within a practical job role.

We will assist you throughout the recruitment process, from

advertising to interviewing and employment.

We would love to hear from you, if you would like to discuss any of

these opportunities further. Please do not hesitate to contact us on

01733 293899.

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.

" 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

depends 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

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"The Peterborough School Nursery has found that

employing apprentices has provided a 'home grown' supply

of full time practitioners because it has allowed the

apprentices to develop their skills and knowledge of how

the Nursery operates though in-house support and training.

These also develop the apprentice's childcare skills and

often provides them with the opportunity to progress within

the setting to become a full time permanent member of the

team". Pauline Bellamy - The Peterborough School Nursery

CONTACT US www.citycollegepeterborough.ac.uk

T: 01733 293899

City College Peterborough

Brook Street

Peterborough

PE1 1TU

City College Peterborough

John Mansfield Centre

Western Avenue

Dogsthorpe

Peterborough

PE1 4HX

Follow us on:

@CCPboro

Email: apprenticeships@citycollegepeterborough.ac.uk