Apprenticeships

What is an Apprenticeship?

An apprenticeship is essentially a job with training, which is often also known as work-based learning. Apprentices are 16 years of age and over and combine studying for a qualification whist working. An apprentice can be a new member of staff or current employees who wish to upskill.

The length of an apprenticeship varies depending on the prior skill level of the apprentice, the qualification being obtained and the industry sector. The minimum duration for an apprenticeship is 12 months, but an advanced or higher level apprenticeship could take 2 years or longer.

Apprentices must be fully employed when they start their apprenticeship. Employers are responsible for paying the apprentice’s wages and for providing both a Contract of Employment and an Apprenticeship Agreement.

Mentors and line managers play an important role during an apprenticeship as they will be responsible for supporting your apprentice’s training and development in your place of work.

Find out more about mentoring your apprentice here >>>

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Apprenticeships & Your Business

Why choose an apprenticeship for your business? 

Over 200,000 employers are already offering apprenticeships according to the Department for Education – so what are the benefits to employing an apprentice? 

Recruiting an apprentice can help you increase productivity and fill skills gaps that exist in your current workforce. Likewise, you can also access training for existing staff members to aid continuous personal development. 

Apprenticeship benefits: 

• It has been reported that an apprenticeship improves productivity by £214 per week 
• They are a great way to introduce new staff, re-train or upskill existing staff, helping you address skill shortages in your business 
• 80% of companies who take part in apprenticeships report increased staff retention 
• 77% of employers feel it makes them more competitive 
• 57% of companies report their apprentices progress into management roles 
• Staff gain skills and qualifications without taking time out of employment – minimising business disruption 
• Apprenticeships are designed to address business needs 
• You could receive up to 100% funding towards apprenticeship programmes* 
• 92% of employers believe apprenticeships lead to a “more motivated and satisfied workforce” 
• It was reported that 81% of consumers prefer companies who employ apprentices 

Did you know you can use apprenticeship funding to train your existing staff?

You may choose to hire an apprentice, or you may decide to develop your existing staff members by enrolling them onto an apprenticeship programme. By investing in your employees, you can help them to progress in their career with your organisation.

Hire an apprentice today >>>

Why Choose The Source Academy?

The Source is an approved skills academy for the delivery of apprenticeships nationwide and we pride ourselves in working with employers to create the best apprenticeship opportunities for everyone. We are committed to encouraging diversity and eliminating discrimination in both our role as an employer and as a provider of services. 

As a training provider we feel that fully understanding your needs is key to enabling the delivery of an exceptional service where everyone can succeed. 

We offer a range of apprenticeships in a variety of sectors from, Retail, Business Administration, Management, Sales, Marketing and Warehousing. For a full list of qualifications click here.

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The On-Boarding Process

Our Business Development and Learner Engagement teams will work with you to recruit your apprentice. They will help to find the ideal candidate, not only for your company but also for the apprenticeship programme you are wanting to undertake.

Step 1: Job Description // Duration: Approximately 15 - 30 minutes.

Your Account Manager will guide you in completing a full job description of the vacancy. This will include the required skills, duties and person specification you would like your apprentice to do based around job roles already in your business.

Step 2: Advertisement // Timescale: Approximately 3 working days from receipt of job description.

Your vacancy will be advertised on a number of websites within 48 working hours of receipt by the Learner Engagement Team.

Step 3: Sourcing your Apprentice // Timescale: 3 - 4 weeks, possibly longer if applicant numbers are low.

We will advertise the vacancy for 3 - 4 weeks to attract a good number of candidates for pre-interview. Applications are checked daily and we will send suitable candidate applications through to you before the closing date. Once the vacancy closes, the team will contact you to arrange an interview date.

Step 4: Interviews // Timescale: Approximately 5 working days.

The Learner Engagement team will pre-interview, shortlist and arrange interviews on your behalf for the agreed date. It is essential that an interview date is arranged as soon as possible to hold the interest of candidates.

Step 5: Your Future Apprentice // Timescale: 1 - 2 working days.

Once interviews are complete, the team will contact you to confirm your decision and official start date. They will then contact the successful candidate to confirm their acceptance of the role. Unsuccessful candidates will also be informed by the team. In the majority of cases, employment can start immediately.

Step 6: Enrolment onto an Apprenticeship

Once your new apprentice and apprenticeship paperwork has been confirmed, the enrolment process can be arranged. The Learner Engagement team will contact you to arrange a suitable time.

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Funding & Grants

The government are currently offering incentive payments for employers who take on trainees and apprentices. Through The Source you can access up to £16,000* of value in addition to tailored support from recruitment to achievement:

• Organisations can receive £1,000 per trainee.

• Organisations can receive up to £2,000 per apprentice in addition to £1,000 per 16 - 18 year old apprentice.

• Up to 95% of the apprenticeship training costs can be fully-funded to the value of thousands.

• Apprenticeships are available in relevant subjects such as business administration, customer service, team leading, digital marketing, healthcare support, warehouse operations and more

• We can support your business and the apprentice with ongoing fully-funded* continuing professional development through online and self-paced accredited training to the value of thousands in 100+ subjects.

Contact our recruitment team to find out more >>>

Advice & Support

We offer employers the ability to up-skill both new and existing employees and offer:

• Support to set up your digital apprenticeship service account
• No recruitment costs
• Pre-screening of candidates
• Ongoing support from recruitment to achievement

In response to the switch to the digital apprenticeship account service for SMEs in January 2020, we launched a specialist apprenticeship service to walk your business through the entire process. Supporting your business to:

• Secure apprenticeship funding
• Find, save and manage training providers
• Find, save and manage apprenticeships
• Recruit apprentices

If you choose us to be your training provider, our Business Development and Learner Engagement teams will work with you to build your chosen apprenticeship programme around the unique needs of your business. The teams then help to find the ideal candidate (an individual who is a match for both your company and the apprenticeship) through our specialist recruitment process.

Hire an apprentice today >>>