Apprenticeship week: what have we learnt?

Date published: 12th February 2021

As National Apprenticeship Week draws to a close, let's have a look at what we've learnt about apprenticeships!

Businesses that utilise apprenticeships told us that they:

•  Fill skill gaps.
• Boosted staff morale
• Improved staff retention
• Improved products or services quality in their organisation
• Improved their productivity

Remember, apprenticeships are for everyone!

There is no upper age limit to apprenticeships, anyone over the age of 16 can become an apprentice, in fact, 41% of apprentices are over the age of 25. Apprenticeships are a great way to take a career change.

You don’t need to be an apprentice to undertake an apprenticeship, they can be used as a great way to upskill in your current role or retrain in a new area of the business.

Apprenticeships come in varying levels:

• Level 2/3 (NVQ level)
• Level 4/5 (Diploma/Foundation degree level)
• Level 6 (Bachelor’s degree apprenticeship)
• Level 7 (Master’s degree apprenticeship)

You will get paid at least the minimum wage for your age whilst you develop your skills and knowledge on the job working alongside experts in the field.

What you need to consider

Employee

• Apprenticeships are hard work, combining high level of study with a full time job take commitment
• Wages can be lower than your peers, especially if you are under the age of 25
• If you choose to undertake a degree apprenticeship you may miss out on the cultural aspect of going to university

Employer

• You will need to have a genuine vacancy before taking on an apprenticeship
• If you are not a levy payer then you may be required to pay 5% of the training fees of the apprenticeship
• If you are a levy payer and you have maximised your levy you can still utilise apprenticeships by paying 10% of the training fees, the Government will pay the rest

For more information on apprenticeships visit:

GOV.UK

Institute for apprenticeships standards

Home | Apprenticeships Norfolk

Home | Apprenticeship information for Employers (north-norfolk.gov.uk)