Apprenticeships

Recruiting apprentices is a fantastic addition to any recruitment strategy. Not only are you tapping into a section of the Labour Market that can be difficult to source, you are also supporting them with training funded by the government.

What are the costs?

We will not charge you for recruiting an apprentice but instead make our commission on linking you in with a training provider once we have successfully placed a candidate. An apprentice is not an employee. Apprentices are a distinct legal entity in their own right and as such are exempt from the minimum wage. You are obliged to pay the apprentice a minimum of £80 per week training allowance. We would generally advise however that you may want to pay more than this to get the best candidates.

What if I have already recruited people eligible for an Apprenticeship?

We can sign them up straight away. It would of course be wrong to give the advantages of training to new recruits and not include current staff. As long as they meet eligibility criteria we will do our best to find the best solution for you and them. Will the training take them off the job frequently In most cases training and assessment is done on a 1 to 1 basis and at the place of work. Apprentices may be required to do some class room activity. A lot depends on the vocational area and training provider we find. The advantage of NVQs is that a lot of the learning is conducted in the workplace and so impact on productivity is minimised.

What does the Apprenticeship involve?

An NVQ qualification – Comprised of mandatory units and optional units you can pick and chose based on your requirements. Key Skills - if a learner has not gained the relevant grades in Maths and English these essential workplace abilities will be developed and further tests taken. Technical certificate – A grounding in the technical details of you industry usually tested by multiple choice.

How does the process work?

We meet to discuss the job role and write a job description should you not have one
We advertise and source candidates for you
Candidates are assessed through group work activities
Candidates are a assessed through competency based interviews
A shortlist is sent to you with information regarding each candidate’s strengths and weaknesses
You interview at a time convenient to you
The successful candidates are given a start date and we ensure paperwork is in order to draw down funding for the training
We ensure you are compliant with health and safety issues and help you with any information required
The training company starts training and assessment in your place of work to minimise disruption
We review progress one month later to ensure you are happy with the apprentice and training provider
Reviews continue culminating in you employing the apprentice at the end but you are perfectly entitled to employ them any time before hand.