An Employer Guide to Hiring an Apprentice

Apprentices within the company offer a lot of value to the business. They could bring creativity to the business, fill up a skill gap and contribute to the general development of the company. However finding the best ones who would stay committed to learning, and possess the right aptitude and ethics could sometimes be challenging.

It is therefore important that every employer understands how to effectively hire an apprentice. In This guide, Incorpuk, explains all you need to know about onboarding an apprentice.

What is an Apprenticeship?

An apprenticeship is a kind of paid employment where an individual (the apprentice) goes through learning or training and at the same time works for the company. Apprenticeship can be used for several types of job roles from different industries and certain qualifications are received by the apprentice on the completion of the program.

In the UK, apprenticeship positions are suitable for people of age 16 and above and it can be used to hire inexperienced individuals or to train existing employees on new skills.

Steps in Hiring an Apprentice as an Employer

Here are the steps to take when hiring an apprentice within the UK.

1. Understand your business needs

The first step in hiring an apprentice as an employer in the UK is to identify your business needs. This should involve recognizing the specific skill gap that needs to be filled up, what job position is most likely to be required in the future and so on. Getting to understand what the business needs will pave the way to successfully hiring the most suitable personnel.

Apprenticeships are available in many industries and as such you will be able to find apprenticeship programs that will meet your specific business needs.

2. Create an apprenticeship account

Once you can recognize the business needs, the next step will be to proceed to the government website where you can easily create an account for the apprenticeship program. With the UK government website, you will be able to register and manage all the apprenticeship activities in one place.

You will also be required to include a PAYE (Pay as You Earn) scheme for your company and also reach an employer agreement with the ESFA (Education and Skills Funding Agency).

3. Select a training course

Next will be to select a training course. This should be in congruence with the specific business needs. You will find a list of different apprenticeship courses you can choose from with varying qualification stages and across several industries. You should be prepared to look out for your industry and the course that is needed for the program.

4. Know the type of apprentice needed

As an employer, you should know the category of apprentice that you require and other specific things that you are looking for. Once you understand this, it becomes much easier to make a selection. Be sure of the specific age range of apprentices that are needed if at all there is any. Know the salary you are willing to offer, the length of time the apprentice would be with the company, whether or not the apprenticeship program will lead to full employment, the number of hours that they will be learning or working per day or week and so on.

5. Find a trainer

After selecting a training course, you should go ahead and search for a trainer who will deliver the course. This can also be found through the account created earlier. There are also varieties of trainers available for different courses in several fields.

So you can make a search by using a keyword relating to the skill required or the specific industry. Alternatively, you can make your search using the apprenticeship location available on the government website.

When selecting a trainer, care should be taken to ensure that the best one with the specific skill required is chosen. Also, you should ensure that you select one that will be the best match with the business culture.

6. Source for funding

Funding for apprenticeship services is made available and since you will be handling the program from the UK government website, you can also source for funding from there. You can get funding to cover most of the apprenticeship expenses like training fees, assessment and other related cost. If your business is small, you can apply to get 95% of the training cost covered by the government while you pay the remaining 5%.

Apart from that, there might be other funding types you might be eligible for depending on the category of apprentice selected.

7. Advertise the apprenticeship position

Next will be to advertise the apprenticeship position so as to get suitable candidates. To do this, go to the advert section of the account created. You will be able to post the apprentice position from there. You can also ask the training provider to assist with it.

Once you are done, you will be required to submit for approval. Upon approval, you will find the advert in the Find an Apprenticeship section on the website.

8. Select an apprentice

Now it is time to select an apprentice from the pool of candidates. This should be done fairly bearing in mind the qualification and level of apprenticeship needed. Written and oral interviews should be organized to help select the best candidates.

In situations where you are hiring a high school leaver for an entry-level, then you should know they might not have many qualifications including a degree and work experience. As such the interview and selection process should be in congruence with the category of apprentice needed.

9. Prepare the necessary paperwork

Necessary paperwork should be prepared and provided when necessary. The apprentice agreement that will detail the salary, conditions of employment, length of employment, working hours, qualification to be achieved etc. should be prepared and signed by both parties.

The apprentice and training provider should also sign a statement indicating their commitment to the program. The statement should detail the aims and goals of the training, what is expected of them, training period and schedule etc.

10. Evaluate and give feedback

Evaluation and valid feedback should be given to the apprentice on a regular basis. This is to make sure that they are making progress with their training and to take note of where they need improvement. Apprentices, unlike other employees, are new to the job and it could take a while before they fully understand the requirements of the job. So giving constructive Evaluation would help them keep an eye on their progress.

11. Discuss career pathways

Apprentices should understand the career pathways they could go through after the course of the program. In Fact, they should know this right from when they are hired. You should discuss the chances of hiring them on a full-time basis with them.

Onboarding an apprentice into the company after their training brings a lot of benefits to the company as the apprentice would have understood the company's process and operations, the dos and don'ts of the organization and so on. Apart from that, they could come up with valuable solutions that can help improve the company's product or service.

Tips for Successfully Training an Apprentice

Here are some of the tips you should note so as to successfully train an apprentice.

1. Providing mentorship

Apart from having a trainer having to deliver the program, the apprentice should also be assigned a mentor. This should be someone they could easily look up to, ask questions and someone who’s willing to share their experience and expertise with the apprentice. Providing a mentor is very vital to an apprentice as they could help fast track the learning process, provide constructive criticism, ensure the apprentice achieves a set goal, build their confidence and so on.

2. Encouraging networking

Apprentices may feel isolated especially when they just join the company. With that, the employer should create an environment where they could easily network with other employees. Meetings can be organized regularly to help them network. Other social and professional activities that could help them connect within the company and in the job field generally should be encouraged.

3. Promoting overall wellbeing

Since the apprenticeship program involves learning the theoretical and practical aspects of the job and having to understand a lot of things, the apprentice could often become overwhelmed especially when they are new. As such it becomes the job of the trainer and the employer to help them relax. Apart from that, structuring the training activity in a bit-to-bit manner and setting realistic goals for a set period of time could make them feel better. All of this will be to ensure they don’t feel overburdened or stressed while going through training.

4. Providing a Supportive Environment

Generally, a supportive work environment would enable fast learning. With that, you should ensure that your company provides all it can to ensure a welcoming, safe, and conducive environment for growth. Constructive criticism should be given when needed. Apprentice should be attended to in a friendly and supportive manner rather than a harsh or bossy one.

5. Support Apprentice growth

Beyond the training course, other opportunities available within the business or industry should be made available also to the apprentice. They should be allowed to attend conferences, and workshops, join professional bodies relating to the industry and so on. All these will help ensure they aren’t limited to just the program, but they can gain some other things.

Depending on the schedule of the apprenticeship program, they might or might not have time for other opportunities mentioned. However, they could explore the opportunities even after the program through support from the company.

Importance of Hiring an Apprentice

Having apprentices within the company is vital. Below are some of the importance of hiring an apprentice for your company.

1. Helps in retaining new employees

If your organization is particularly short of staff or you feel you might be faced with a staff shortage in the future, then getting an apprentice right from now could be the solution. Moreover, you can select the category of individuals you want as an apprentice. So you can recruit more young individuals who would grow with the company.

2. Cost-effectiveness

Hiring an apprentice is cheap compared to other types of employees. Government funds are available to train them and you also get some funding to pay an apprentice. Apart from that you don’t have to worry about the trainers as you can easily get them from the government website.

3. Increases productivity

Having apprentices within the company helps reduce staff shortages. Although it could take a while before they get used to the company’s operations, once they do, they could fill up some positions within the company. With an increase in the number of staff comes a productivity improvement.

4. Increases staff retention

When you train and hire an apprentice after the program, they remain loyal and tend to stay longer within your company. With that, you can be sure that employees with a particular skill set are committed to the job and the company in general. Although they aren’t obliged to remain with the company, they tend to be thankful to the company that trains them.

5. Reduces skill shortage

With the ever-growing world, your company needs to be filled with employees with varying skill sets. Training apprentices could be a good way to ensure that your company have employees with the required skill sets. Once you observe that a particular skill is needed within the company or there is a shortage of skill, you should invite an apprentice.

Incorporate Your Company with Incorpuk Today

At Incorpuk, we will help you file accurate information when you register your company through us. We will also help you with incorporation articles, a registered office address, and all you may need to register your company in the UK. Contact our team if you seek any information; we will gladly assist.

Conclusion

As an employer, hiring an apprentice would be a good decision for your company. Apart from the fact that you do not have to spend a lot on training them, there are a lot of benefits you would derive from having them within your organization. If you have any questions on how to hire an apprentice, don’t hesitate to contact us here, and we’ll do everything we can to help.