Apprenticeships

Employers must pay:

• The apprentice’s wage, and
• A portion of the training costs (depending on company size).

Levy-payers (payroll bill over £3m): training is funded through the Apprenticeship Levy.

Non-levy employers (SMEs): pay 5% of training, government pays 95%.

There may also be additional incentives for hiring younger apprentices.

Support includes:

• 95% funding for non-levy employers

• £1,000 incentive payments for hiring 16–18-year-olds, or eligible 19–24-year-olds

• Funding bands to cap training costs

• Apprenticeship Service account management tools

No. You can put existing staff onto an apprenticeship to help them develop new skills or progress into new roles.

Yes. Levy funds can be used to train:

• New apprentices

• Existing employees

• Staff of any age or seniority (there are higher-level apprenticeships available, including leadership and degree levels)

Employers must pay:

• At least the Apprenticeship Minimum Wage for apprentices aged 16–18 or 19+ in their first year.

• After the first year (if aged 19+), they must be paid at least the National Minimum Wage for their age group.

• Many employers we work with choose to pay more to attract higher quality candidates.

Training includes:

• On-the-job training delivered by you as the employer

• Off-the-job training (20% minimum) delivered by us as your training provider

This is training that develops new skills that aren’t part of day-to-day work tasks, such as: 

• Classroom lessons

• Online courses

• Practical training sessions

• Shadowing or mentoring

• Assignments or projects

It must be at least 20% of paid working hours.

Yes. Apprentices must be supervised by experienced staff and given guidance as they learn. You should ensure apprentices have: 

• A workplace mentor

• Regular feedback

• Protected time for training

You would only pay for the training delivered up to that point. We would then adjust funding claims accordingly.

They expire after 24 months. Unused funds are returned to the government unless you transfer up to 50% of them to another business.