5 Reasons for Cheshire Companies To Hire an Apprentice in 2022

Please note: This page contains some out of date information regarding available incentives. Please click on the link below to view the latest updated information regarding increased apprenticeship incentives.

Link: Goverment apprenticeship incentives
Cheshire

Looking for a clever way to grow your company this year? Whether it’s efficiency, speed, or a thriving culture you want for your organisation, a high-performing new staff member is what you need. Before you think about drafting up position descriptions and how long it will take for (just!) the interviews, it’s a good idea to consider a much more effective solution—hiring an apprentice.

Our NLTG team has helped thousands of employers find exactly the right apprenticeship talent for their firms over the past years. Today, we’re here to tell you why companies in Cheshire should hire an apprentice in 2022!

Any employer knows that it takes work to build up a quality team. Finding job candidates is just the start; once you’ve found a potentially great fit, you then need to train them up. For your chosen recruit, this frequently involves “unlearning” old ways of working, but the whole process is often much faster for new apprentices. That’s because they come to the job with no prior work experience and full of motivation to learn. What more could you ask for as a business owner?

If you’ve heard that hiring an apprentice is cost-effective, you’ve heard correctly! A new apprentice from NLTG begins on a much lower salary than your company would pay an experienced new hire, and that can save you plenty in the long run. Before you start to wonder what the catch is, consider this—simply by working with your company, your apprentice is gaining hard-to-come-by work experience that will shine on their CV for life. Hopefully, however, they’ll stay on at your firm!

But wait, the best is yet to come! Did you know that your Cheshire company might even earn money simply for hiring your apprentice? One of the biggest reasons why companies in Cheshire should hire an apprentice in 2022 is the UK government’s apprenticeship hiring incentive. This payment recognises the role that apprentice employers play in shaping the UK’s next generation of workers, and can amount to £1,000 for companies that meet certain criteria. If your company has 49 or fewer employees and you hire a new apprentice aged between 16 and 18 with NLTG, we’ll help you check that you meet the government’s criteria and get paid simply for growing your team!

So what kind of apprenticeship are you after? Now you’re clued up about why companies in Cheshire should hire an apprentice in 2022, here are some of the wonderful apprenticeship hiring pathways we offer: Business Administration, Retail, Furniture Occupations, IT & Digital Marketing, Team Leading & Management, Catering & Hospitality, and Customer Service. If you’re looking for new personnel in one of these fields, raise an apprenticeship vacancy and we’ll help to match you with the best apprentice candidates for the job!

Raise a Vacancy

To raise a vacancy call our team on 01254 300779 or click the button below to fill out a quick enquiry form. Our team will then arrange to come out and guide you through the process.

Raise a vacancy

NLTG provide training in the Cheshire area for your current employees

Imagine you could keep working with the same team you know and love, but supercharge their capabilities. Wouldn’t that do wonders for your productivity and revenue? Not to mention your organisational culture!

When you upskill your staff, that’s precisely what you’re doing. Giving employees the opportunity to grow and learn within your firm is one of the most strategic moves you can make! Upskilling not only arms your personnel with knowledge that helps them excel, but it can also be an effective way for them to brush up on rusty skills and acquire new ones. A few great examples include enrolling staff in an IT and Digital Marketing program so they can boost your online visibility, or a Customer Service program that will earn your business more rave reviews!

If you’re hoping to strengthen your team without hiring a new apprentice, NLTG offers engaging and motivational upskilling pathways that you can enrol your staff in at any point in their career. 

Our upskilling courses comprise a wide range of apprenticeships designed for workers of all age brackets, plus eLearning courses that your team can use to develop either at the office or from home. These include thoughtfully designed pathways that your employees can use to hone their skills or acquire new ones, depending on your business needs. Take a look at our available courses and start upskilling your team with us today!

Frequently Asked Questions

How will employing an apprentice benefit my company?

Employing an Apprentice can bring numerous benefits to your business including:

• increased productivity.

• increased employee satisfaction.

• increased loyalty and commitment.

• reduced staff turnover.

  • Apprentices will be trained to understand how your industry works, helping to ensure your future workforce is exactly the way you want it to be. They can generate new ideas and creativity to expand your business and are a cost-effective way of achieving a return on investment.

What training do I need to provide?

You will need to train a new apprentice in their job role and provide them with a mentor, as you would with any new member of staff.  The apprentice however, may need a little more support, especially if they have not worked in your industry before or are learning a new role.

We will visit your premises every 4 to 6 weeks to help with the training and guide your apprentice through their programme.

How much does it cost to employ an apprentice?

Apprentices are employees of your company and you are responsible for paying your apprentice’s wage.  You must pay at least the Apprenticeship minimum wage and can find out more by clicking here.  The Apprenticeship minimum wage relates to apprentices aged 16 to 18, or aged 19 and above in the first year of their Apprenticeship.

What days and hours do apprentices work?

Apprentices are employees of your company, with the same rights and responsibilities as any other employee.

As such, you will decide the days and hours you would like apprentices to work (which must be at least 30 hours per week), their rest breaks and paid holiday entitlement etc, in line with Employment Law and the Working Hours Directive.

If you employ an apprentice aged under 18, the law states that they must not work more than 8 hours per day or 40 hours per week.  They are also entitled to paid holidays and rest breaks of at least 30 minutes if their shift lasts more than four and half hours.

How are disciplinary procedures handled?

They are handled like any other employee’s, but NLTG are on hand to provide help and support if you feel it is necessary.

What funding and grants are available?

If your apprentice is aged:

• 16-18; or

• 19-24 and is a care leaver or has a Local Authority Education, Health & Care Plan

… you’ll receive a £1,000 incentive payment for each apprentice.

Payments will be made in two equal instalments; the first once the apprentice has been on programme for 3 months and the second after the apprentice has been on programme for 12 months.  (It may take up to 9 weeks after the incentive payment dates for funds to be processed and transferred).

Grants may also be available but the availability and requirements for these change on a regular basis so you are best speaking to us for up-to-date information.

Depending upon the size of your company, different funding arrangements are in place for Apprenticeship training.  For full details, please click here.

What is the recruitment process / how do I raise a vacancy?

Once you’re happy you know all you need to know about recruiting an Apprentice, you’ll need to raise an Apprenticeship vacancy with us. You can do this by contacting our Employer Engagement Team (email: eet@nltg.co.uk , tel: 01254 300779) or by clicking the ‘Have a Question’ tab to the right and completing the online enquiry form. Once we have all the vacancy details we’ll publish it on our website and other partner’s websites to attract applicants.

We also offer a free 16-18 year old Recruitment Service.  We’ll look at all our current 16-18 year old applicants seeking the type of job you have advertised and check if they meet your requirements. We’ll give you a call with any applicant details and see if you would like to interview them.  If so, we’ll contact the applicant on your behalf to advise them of interview details. We’ll give you a call after interview to gain feedback and see if you would like to employ the applicant. If yes, we’ll inform the applicant of their start date, if not we’ll inform the applicant they were unsuccessful and repeat the process until you find the right candidate.

Don’t forget if you have any exiting employees, including graduates, who you wish to train through an Apprenticeship, simply contact our Employer Engagement Team.

What is required of me?

If you employ an apprentice or choose to up-skill your workforce via Apprenticeships, there are some things you need to have in place. NLTG will support you through this process, with advice on the specific requirements, such as Health & Safety.

To find out more, please download our Employer Handbook.

As an employer you will need to ensure your apprentices:

• are employed in a real job that gives them the opportunity to gain the knowledge and skills they need to pass their assessment.
• are paid at least the minimum wage and have a contract of employment.
• work towards an approved Apprenticeship Standard.  Their training must last at least 12 months.
• are paid for time spent training or studying for their Apprenticeship, whether at work or at a training provider.
• have the same conditions as other employees working at similar grades or in similar roles. This includes: paid holidays; sick pay; any benefits you offer such as childcare voucher schemes; any support you offer such as coaching or mentoring.

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