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Writtle College apprenticeships for employers

Apprenticeships are a fantastic way to grow your business

Apprenticeships provide real, measurable business benefits. They bring productive, enthusiastic and loyal people into your business and help you to demonstrate your commitment to investing in your staff. 92% of companies that have taken on apprentices believe this leads to a more motivated and satisfied workforce. 78% of companies who employ apprentices agree they make the workplace more productive.

Following an apprenticeship standard, which sets out the Knowledge, Skills and Behaviours (KSB) required, your apprentice will be required to complete 20% of their contracted working hours to learn ‘off-the-job’. This includes time spent at college, but also learning new KSBs in the workplace.

We will monitor these hours and the progress the apprentice makes in acquiring new KSB through regular progress review meetings, which are attended by the apprentice, their line manager and Writtle College Training Officers. These meetings provide opportunities for you and Writtle College to work together in ensuring the apprentice is supported throughout their programme and given every opportunity to succeed. An apprenticeship is concluded on the successful passing of an independently examined End Point Assessment (EPA).

You don't need to be a large company to take on an apprentice; we work with a variety of companies, from micro businesses up to national and public sector organisations.

We offer apprenticeships in:

If you would like us to help you advertise to fill a new position, please contact us for details on how we can help you with our free recruitment service.

Contact [email protected] or 01245 424275 for more information.

Key information

The funding and employer contribution is determined by the age of the apprentice at the start of their course and the number of employees your company has. The Training Plan contract and Apprenticeship agreement you will sign will outline the course details, costs, terms and commitment of all parties. The information below shows the expected employer co-investments.

Your company has 49 or fewer employees
If the apprentice is aged 16-18:

  • fully funded for training costs
  • employer incentive of £1,000*

If the apprentice is aged 19+:

  • 95% of funding will come from the Government, with the remaining 5% coming from you as the employer
  • apprentices who are aged 19-24 and have previously been in Care or who have a Local Authority Education, Health and Care plan will be fully funded and receive £1,000 incentive payment

Your company has 50 employees or more, but below a company pay bill of £3m
If the apprentice is aged 16-18:

  • 95% of funding will come from the Government, with the remaining 5% coming from you as the employer
  • employer incentive of £1,000*

If the apprentice is aged 19+:

  • 95% of funding will come from the Government, with the remaining 5% coming from you as the employer
  • apprentices who are aged 19-24 and have previously been in care or who have a local authority Education, Health and Care Plan will be fully funded and receive £1,000 incentive payment

Apprenticeship Levy payers (company pay bill of over £3m)
If you operate in England and your annual payroll is over £3 million, you pay a levy of 0.5% of your payroll into a Digital Apprenticeship Service Account. This account is exclusively used to fund apprenticeship programmes.

The Government will top up the employer’s account with a 10% bonus, so effectively you will draw £1.10 for every £1.00 you put in This is used to pay for your apprentices training costs. In addition:

  • for apprentices who are 16–18 years old there is an employer incentive of £1,000
  • apprentices who are aged 19-24 and have previously been in care or who have a local authority Education, Health and Care Plan the employer will receive an £1,000 incentive payment

An apprentice will be your employee and will need a contract of employment for at least the duration of the apprenticeship.

On average our Level 2 apprenticeships take around 13-24 months and the Level 3 advanced apprenticeships around 36-40 months. However, the timescale of an apprenticeship is flexible and will depend on the apprentice’s prior experience and the course they are enrolled on.

  • Wages – employers are required to pay at least the current apprenticeship minimum wage. However, learners over 19 years must be paid the national minimum wage when their second year of study starts. Apprentices are required to be contracted employees, paid through PAYE.
  • Health, safety and safeguarding – companies will need to comply with current health and safety regulations. Our staff will carry out a supportive on-site inspection to ensure the apprentice works in a safe environment.
  • Support – as an employer you will need to work alongside Writtle College staff to provide a supportive environment for your apprentice. This includes releasing your apprentice to attend college, either on a day or block release depending on the programme.
  • Progress review meetings – these are regular meetings that are attended by the apprentice, their line manager and Writtle College Training Officers. These meetings provide opportunities for you and Writtle College to work together in ensuring the apprentice is supported throughout their programme and given every opportunity to succeed.

Many employers contact us with a potential apprentice already in mind; this could be an existing member of staff who needs training to progress to a new role or a volunteer/casual worker who the company feels would be an asset as an apprentice.

However, if you are looking for a new member of staff, Writtle College can help manage the recruitment process on your behalf or assist your HR department during the recruitment process. Your vacancies will be advertised on the National Apprenticeship Service and the ARU website.

Writtle College apprenticeships are delivered by a highly skilled team of lecturers with extensive industry experience in their specialist sectors. This gives employers peace of mind that training and learning is being delivered by an expert who understands the needs, pressures and sometimes unique requirements of the sector.

Contact us

If you have any questions about becoming an apprentice, or you're an employer, get in touch.

Monday-Thursday 9am-5pm, Friday 9am-4.30pm