How do apprentices benefit a business?
Apprenticeships are for employers of all sizes and sectors and people of all ages, education levels and backgrounds – there’s opportunities for all.
With businesses facing continuous challenges, Apprenticeships offer a fantastic way to recruit and upskill their teams. The 80% work and 20% Apprenticeship training structure, allows businesses to shape and develop a talented workforce that is equipped with the relevant skills applicable for the future success and longevity of the business.
How can my business utilise the apprenticeship scheme?
Apprentices must be over 16 years of age, live in the UK and not in full-time education.
- Are an employee with a contract of employment earning a wage and getting holiday pay
- Work alongside experienced staff
- Gain job-specific skills
- Get time for training and study related to your role (at least 20% of working hours)
Types of Training
- At your place of work - e.g. Online through virtual training or on the job training
- Day Release - e.g. A day at a time at a college or training provider
- Block Release - e.g. 2 or more days at a time at a college or training provider
Name |
Level |
Equivalent Education Level |
| Intermediate | 2 | 5 GCSE passes (grade A*-C or 9-4) |
| Advanced | 3 | 2 A-Level passes / Level 3 Diploma |
| Higher | 4,5,6 and 7 | Foundation / Bachelor’s or Master’s Degree |
| Degree | 6 and 7 | Bachelor’s or Master’s Degree |
Limitless vocational training
Exploring options
With over 700 apprenticeship opportunities available across a wide range of sectors, including:
Business and Administration | Care and Service | Catering and Hospitality | Construction and Architecture | Creative and Design | Education and Childcare | Digital and IT | Engineering and Manufacturing | Environmental | Finance and Accounting | Sales and Marketing | Transport and Logistics
Apprenticeships are available from foundation to higher and degree level standards. So, where do you start? With our support, of course! Our Skills Coaches will guide you in the right direction to find the courses and providers that answer your needs.
Finding an apprentice or apprenticeship to match your needs
Apprenticeships - How we can help?
Our Skills coaches in Skills for Growth – SME Support will be available to assist all the businesses in Greater Manchester.
Register for the Apprentice account to manage your apprentice – this is where you apply for funding, post job adverts etc click here
Register with Levy Matchmaking service for funding, this site is designed to match smaller employers with larger donor organisations who are looking to support funding apprenticeship training using their apprenticeship levy.
Creating your account to gain access to all the great opportunities that exist within Greater Manchester. https://levymatchfinder.co.uk/
Apply for £1000 college grant via your training provider –
https://www.apprenticeships.gov.uk/employers/funding-an-apprenticeship-non-levy
How much do you get paid on an apprenticeship?
The following information is a guide to apprenticeship minimum wages. In order to attract top talent, businesses should consider paying above apprenticeship minimum wage and offering a real living wage and additional benefits.
| Age | Hourly pay until 31st March 2023 | Hourly pay from 1st April 2023 |
| 16 - 18 years old | £4.81 per hour | £5.28 per hour |
| 19 years or over in the first year | £4.81 per hour | £5.28 per hour |
After the 1st Year of the apprenticeship Apprentices are entitled to National minimum Wage (Current National Minimum Wage rates until 31st March 2023)
| Age | Hourly pay until 31st March 2023 | Hourly pay after 1st April 2023 |
| 18 - 20 years | £6.83 per hour | £7.49 per hour |
| 21 - 22 years | £9.18 per hour | £10.18 per hour |
| Over 23 years | £9.50 per hour | £10.42 per hour |
Government Funding
Is your wage bill above £3million?
Yes - you will pay 0.5% of your wage bill into an ‘Apprenticeship levy account’ – this can only be utilised on either recruiting or upskilling an existing staff via an apprenticeship programme.
No - If your wage bill is below £3million the Government funds all training costs for 16, 17 and 18 year olds via the apprenticeship account (below) and 95% of the training costs for 19+ years old. The remaining 5% is co-funded by the employer.
Greater Manchester Levy Matchmaking Service
This dedicated service will facilitate funding transfers to create more apprenticeship opportunities across the city region. Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) commissioned the Growth Company in early 2019 to develop and deliver an online apprenticeship Levy Matchmaking Service that ensures as many levy payers (public and private sector) as possible transfer unspent funds to non-levy payers negating the need for them to pay the 5% co-investment costs.
With Levy paying organisations now able to transfer up to 25% of their funds to other employers there was a need to make this as simple a process as possible for both parties to ensure maximum levy investment is retained in GM, non-levy paying organisations have no training cost and apprenticeship training providers do not use up their limited non-levy funding.
Employers large and small can register on this website to transfer or receive funds from their apprenticeship digital accounts covering the training costs of a specified apprentice.
How can Skills for Growth – SME Support help?
Here at Skills for Growth – SME Support we’re working with Greater Manchester SMEs to bring apprenticeships with ambition with businesses with vision. We’re shining a light on the positive effects of Apprenticeships.
We’re guiding businesses and individuals in the right direction to get the support they need to benefit from apprenticeships. With our knowledge, expertise and partners, we’re helping businesses source the right training provider for their needs.
To support with recruiting apprentices, please contact the team at Skills for Growth - SME Support email enquiries@skillsforgrowthsme.co.uk or call 0161 237 4444
Retaining and Redeploying
Growing as a team
Having a clear learning and career development structure within your organisation can help to attract and retain top talent, and that’s why we’re firm believers that apprenticeships work. Whether you want to redeploy employees to answer to business changes for the future, strengthen your current foundations or open new employment opportunities, our team is here to help.
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Talk to our Skills Coach now
Leave us your details and get a callback directly from our team to see how we can help.
75% of businesses report that apprenticeships helped to improve their product or service, and over 90% of apprentices in the UK currently go to work or further training. The evidence shows that apprenticeships work, and as we move through times of great change, apprenticeships can provide a practical and sustainable avenue for filling skills gaps and developing a future-proof workforce for tomorrow’s world.
Start your Skills for Growth Journey Today
Apply for Skills for Growth - SME Support and start upskilling your team today