10 key facts about apprenticeships

1. An apprenticeship is a paid job with training.
2. Apprenticeships are for people of all ages – not just school leavers or young people, although they are a crucial route into work for this group.
3. Apprenticeships can upskill existing employees as well as train new recruits.
4. Apprenticeships are available at levels 2 to 7 – that’s GCSE level right up to Masters.
5. An apprentice must spend 20 per cent of their time in ‘off the job’ training; some of that will be delivered by a training provider, but some of it can involve activities in the workplace that extend their learning outside of their day-to-day role.
6. There are over 500 apprenticeships approved for delivery, covering a diverse range of roles in many different sectors.
7. Businesses select a training provider to work with to deliver their apprenticeships; these include colleges, independent training providers and HEIs.
8. Large employers – those with a salary bill of over £3 million – pay into the apprenticeship levy, and draw down these funds to pay for apprenticeship training in their organisation.
9. Smaller businesses who don’t pay the levy can access co-investment funding from the government, meaning they pay only 5 per cent of the training costs.
10. Levy payers can also transfer unspent levy funds to smaller businesses to cover the full costs of training their apprentices.

Find out more about the London Progression Collaboration and its plans to support the creation of new apprenticeships, boost progression and fill skills gaps in the capital here