Taking on an Apprentice: Here’s What You Need to Know

You might have decided that your business has the space, resources, and need to potentially bring an apprentice on to your team to learn key skills and fill a role for your company that might be more niche or technical. However, looking for an apprentice to fill a gap in your business is very different from a regular employee. So, here are the factors you must consider when searching for an apprentice for your business.

What roles/skill set would most benefit your benefit?

Taking on any new team member is an investment for a business owner, but an apprenticeship is likely to take up more time, both from you and your other staff. So firstly, you need to be sure you have the capacity to take someone on. You then want to assess what position or skill set your business would most benefit from filling or building on. Ensure you will be getting the right return on your investment.

The standard rules for hiring an apprentice.

Make sure your candidate is eligible to work in the UK and set out a clear contract between you (employer) and the candidate. Alongside a standard employment contract of employment, you will need an apprenticeship agreement that outlines the skills/trade/occupation the apprentice will be training for, which qualification they are working towards, the dates of duration of the apprenticeship, and how much training they receive off-site. You should be as transparent as possible with your candidate about how the apprenticeship shall be undertaken and what they should expect while they are working with you i.e. which of your senior staff they might be training under, what equipment they might be working with, what is expected of them as an employee, etc.

Find a training provider

You will need to pick an apprenticeship training course with the right certifications for your business and for your apprentice. Find a training provider who will help you build and deliver the apprentice program with end-point assessments and select an independent assessment organisation to conduct the assignments. You (employer), the candidate, and the training provider must sign a separate commitment statement for the apprenticeship program, so that there is a clear definition between what responsibilities are yours and what you can leave to your training provider.

Consult a relevant recruiter

How are you going to advertise your apprenticeship? Consulting a specialised recruitment company will help you find a candidate that is proactive and potentially already receiving training at a college or educational institution. If a candidate is already supported by a college, you will be able to split their training between your workplace and the educational institute.

To find out more about taking on an apprentice, click here.