What is an apprenticeship? To put it
simply, an apprenticeship allows on the job experience while synonymously
working towards a qualification.
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As exam season is upon us, it is the time of year when
many young people are weighing up their options and considering their future
careers. Due to the increase in university fees, the option of enrolling on an apprenticeship
is getting more and more popular among school leavers. With UK 16-24 year old
unemployment rates averaging at around 20.7%, the apprenticeship scheme is a
great way for companies to do their bit in helping to lower youth unemployment,
and as we have experienced this isn't the only benefit;
· Grant
– You are able to get the government Apprenticeship Grant for
Employers (AGE), this has a value of £1500 for up to 10 apprentices.
· Additional Grant
– If the apprentice lives in the Nottingham area you are able to receive between
£1000 and £2300 for each apprentice you employ. There may be similar grants
available in your area, so it is worth a quick check if you are interested in
employing an apprentice.
· Training Costs
– As part of the AGE the government will pay the apprentices training costs as
follows; aged 16-18 are given in full and for those aged 19-24 50% of the costs
are given.
Wages – SMEs often do not have the
spare cash to employ a full qualified person, compared with the national
minimum wage the apprenticeship wage is much more achievable for smaller businesses.
Apprenticeship
wage per hour
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Minimum wage per
hour
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Aged 19 or under and in their 1st year of training,
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£2.65
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Under 18 - £3.68
Between 18 and 20 - £4.98
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Aged over 19 or past their 1st year of training,
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£4.98
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Over 20 - £6.19
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· Ability -
You are able to mould your apprentice to work exactly how you want them to. It’s
a given that this takes time but, once they are with you for a couple of months
they should be able to get on with tasks you set without a massive amount of
assistance.
At HR Response Ltd, we recognised the benefits and value of hiring an
apprentice. Yet, while our selection process differed slightly from that of
Lord Sugar’s, we recruited sixteen year old (now seventeen) Megan Hodgkinson (pictured
front left) as our Business Administrator In November 2012. Since joining, Megan has developed and honed her skills becoming a great asset
to the business.
We asked our apprentice:
“Why
did you decide to go down the apprenticeship route and what do you enjoy most?”
Megan responded with “The
reason I chose to do an apprenticeship is because it lets me gain a
qualification as well as experience and knowledge from working. The thing I
enjoy most about working at HR Response Ltd is that I get to learn new things
every day and every day is never the same, each day is different and varied.”
If you would like any information about
the legalities and procedures involved in hiring an apprentice, please contact HRResponse Ltd on 0115 972 8708
Alternatively you can email:
charlotte@hrresponse.co.uk
Twitter @HRRESPONSE
