Recruiting an Apprentice
Apprenticeship Agency
A guide for employers
Creating opportunities, building careers
Our Service
How much do you pay?
Futures Apprenticeship Agency (FAA) is an employment brokerage service between employers, young people and providers of Apprenticeship training. We are a Government approved and recognised Apprenticeship Training Agency (ATA), whose core function is the employment and development of apprentices. Apprenticeships are work-based training programmes designed around the needs of employers. They aim to improve apprentice skill levels, lead to nationally recognised qualifications for apprentices and have a beneficial impact on business performance. Many employers would like to recruit an apprentice but may be unable to increase their headcount or may be unsure about taking on an apprentice for the first time. That’s where we can help, as we employ the apprentice on your behalf and provide:
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Recruitment support Arrangement of appropriate Apprenticeship training
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We agree with you the weekly hours you want the apprentice to work and how much you want to pay them. There is a National Minimum Apprenticeship Wage but you can pay more, depending on the calibre of the person you want to attract and the position you want to advertise.
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All Apprenticeships are a minimum of 12 months, but some may take longer depending on the level of Apprenticeship and the sector, for example engineering. We liaise with your training provider and confirm the length of the Apprenticeship contract.
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We add our service charge to the Apprenticeship wage and invoice you on a monthly basis.
For details of our exact charges please visit our website.
Payroll administration HR support Ongoing monitoring
The weekly charge for this service includes the apprentice wage and an admin fee to cover our costs. You host the apprentice, providing day to day line management and practical experience, ensuring that you get to develop the apprentice to provide the maximum benefit to your organisation. When they have completed their training contract you are not obliged to employ your apprentice but we find that most of our employers are keen to retain the young person who is already making a valuable contribution to their business. If you have already sourced your own apprentice, providing they are entitled to Apprenticeship funding and they are eligible to work in the UK, we will guide them through our recruitment process.
As we are an independent, not for profit organisation, any profits are re-invested to ensure that we can continue supporting employers to offer opportunities to young people.
Interested? Ring 0845 850 8899
www.futuresadvice.co.uk/faa
Roles and Responsibilities Futures Apprenticeship Agency is responsible for:
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Advertising your vacancy
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Providing the apprentice with a Futures Online Induction
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Processing the apprentices salary payment
Facilitating apprentice ‘Right to work in the UK’ and qualification checks Selecting an appropriate, approved, Apprenticeship Training Provider to provide training for your apprentice Providing the apprentice with their ‘Apprentice Contract of Employment.’ The apprentice is employed by Futures but they work for you
The Apprenticeship Training Provider is responsible for:
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All aspects of Apprenticeship training delivery
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Monitoring the apprentice’s progress against targets for training
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Pastoral support for the apprentice, if required
‘Signing up’ the apprentice onto to the agreed Apprenticeship Framework Agreeing with you arrangements for ‘on the job’ and/or ‘day/block release’ Apprenticeship training, if options are available for the framework Keeping you and Futures informed of any issues with the apprentice’s progress, if applicable
Providing you with a ‘Host Employer Contract’ Supporting you and your apprentice with information or queries throughout the duration of the Apprenticeship
You (‘Host Employer’) are responsible for:
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DBS checks for the apprentice, if they are required by you
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All health and safety training appropriate for the workplace, including fire evacuation procedures
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Completing and returning recruitment and selection documentation once you have selected your apprentice
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Providing the apprentice with a workplace induction
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Completing an appraisal for the apprentice using the documentation provided
Providing Futures with a copy of your current Employers’ Liability Insurance Certificate
The day to day line management of the apprentice for the duration of the Apprenticeship
“The experience was beneficial to both the apprentice and the organisation.”
Interested? Ring 0845 850 8899
www.futuresadvice.co.uk/faa
Apprenticeships Information Apprenticeships are designed to help young employees reach a high level of competency and performance. There are three different levels of Apprenticeship – intermediate and advanced which equate to GCSE’s and A levels respectively, and higher Apprenticeships which are degree level qualifications.
All Apprenticeships involve the following: National Vocational Qualification National Vocational Qualifications (NVQs) recognise learning in the workplace and ensure that your apprentice is working at a national level of competence. They range from basic work activities at Level 1 through to senior management at Level 5 and can lead to further qualifications. Technical Certificate Most Apprenticeships incorporate a technical certificate and an exam-based qualification, which provides the technical and theoretical knowledge required for the job. Functional Skills Functional Skills are the essential skills that learners need to support them in their job. They include communication, numeracy and IT skills.
Interested? Ring 0845 850 8899
Delivery of Training All Apprenticeships involve on the job training from the employer. This is then assessed through regular visits from your training provider to ensure that the apprentice is progressing to the required level. The training provider will also deliver the technical certificate and functional skills - depending on the Apprenticeship this could be done in the workplace with only occasional attendance at a training centre or it could be delivered through day or block release. There is an Apprenticeship Minimum Wage, which changes each year at the same time as the general National Minimum Wage. Visit www.gov.uk for the latest rates.
“Our apprentice has become a valuable part of the team and I hope we can offer the same opportunity to another young person.”
www.futuresadvice.co.uk/faa
Customer Feedback Working in partnership with us can help your business become more competitive and productive whilst helping you to address any skills shortage that your organisation may have. It could also enhance employee retention and reduce future recruitment costs. Below are some comments from employers who have used our service.
“I would like to say thank you for your support, this is the first Apprentice we have had, so I have had lots of questions, all of which have been answered well and in a timely manner.”
“It has been a great experience for the apprentice and for my team. It has given much pleasure to help a young person achieve their goal of getting a career. It has also been a valuable learning experience, which will be used for the future development of other apprentices.”
“It has been extremely rewarding to be involved in this scheme and having played a part in securing employment for a young person to move into employment.”
Interested? Ring 0845 850 8899
