5 Reasons for Colne 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Please note: This page contains some out of date information regarding available incentives.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
Colne

Apprenticeships are increasingly popular in Great Britain, with recent industry surveys revealing that as many as 719,000 employees were pursuing apprenticeships in England between 2019 and 2020. Despite the disruptions caused by the pandemic, this is a recruitment strategy that companies in a huge range of sectors are using to source talent, so what is all the fuss about?

Recruiting and training apprentices has always been a particularly clever way for British businesses to grow, adapt, and compete, but now it’s even more strategic than ever. If you’ve considered joining the over 250,000 UK employers who are recruiting from this in-demand talent pool, here is our list of 5 reasons for Colne companies to hire an apprentice in 2022. There are sure to be a few – if not all – that apply to your Colne business!

Number one – new apprentices are exceptionally well-known for their drive, passion, and commitment to their roles. Becoming an apprentice means entering the workforce instantly and learning by doing, often passing on other opportunities such as university or college. It’s this pierce dedication that makes most apprentices very loyal hires; as many employers have mentioned, they’re willing to go the extra mile.

The second of our 5 reasons for Colne companies to hire an apprentice in 2022 is that doing so can be a wonderful productivity boost for the whole organisation. As well as the dedication already mentioned, apprentices can begin as employees from the moment they join your team. With NLTG apprenticeships, each candidate starts contributing from Day One as they learn – your company can start noticing the efficiency gains and improved output in no time!

Third, apprenticeship pathways are cost-effective for employers. On top of being far more efficient than traditional recruitment pathways, candidates start on a trainee wage that reflects their learning period. They then gain skills and knowledge through their work with you to become highly capable employees who know all the ins and outs of your strategy – if that’s not a competitive advantage, what is?

Fourth on our list of 5 reasons for Colne companies to hire an apprentice in 2022 is the flexibility factor. Employers don’t need to find a candidate with a highly aligned skill set for their company’s skills gaps with apprenticeships; rather, they can train, mould, and develop their new hires to suit their company’s needs. If you’re looking for an adaptability advantage in the new financial year, hiring a new apprentice is the perfect way to shape your own talent base!

Last but definitely not least, UK employers can now receive a substantially larger-than-usual incentive payment for hiring an apprentice in 2022. Under the official incentive program, employers are usually entitled to a £1,000 maximum payment for recruiting new apprentices, and this figure has been significantly raised. Depending on the size of your Colne organisation and the age of your new apprentice, your company could claim as much as £3,000 in bonus payments simply by making your hire between now and the end of January 2022 (for 16-18-year-old new apprentice hires in eligible companies). For employers who want to invest in multiple aspects of their business at once – e.g. equipment, tech, projects, and staff – now is the time to do it!

So what kind of apprentices can you hire? At NLTG, we have been connecting Colne businesses with apprentices for many years in the following sectors: Furniture Occupations, Business Administration, Customer Service, IT and Digital Marketing, Catering and Hospitality, General Manufacturing, Warehouse and Logistics, Glass Occupations, Team Leading and Management and Retail. If you’re ready to fill a skills gap or grow your company, start today by raising an apprenticeship vacancy!

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 Colne area for your current employees

Upskilling your staff is equipping them with the knowledge, skills, and approaches that they need to improve their performance and help your firm succeed. As the business landscape changes and market opportunities develop, it’s essential to make sure your staff are up to pace with these changes and ready to give their A-game. 

At NLTG, we offer the most relevant kind of upskilling that you can offer your staff – instead of boring, offsite software training programs or textbooks that quickly become outdated, you can enrol your team into our carefully structured programs update with your business, including everything from sector-specific on-the-job apprenticeships to online learning programs, or a combination of both.

NLTG’s upskilling courses include our wide selection of apprenticeships, open to employees of all ages, and our suite of e-learning courses, structured to allow your team to learn flexibly either in the workplace or from home. These entail a structured selection of pathways that your team can follow to brush up their skills or pick up new ones that are relevant to their roles. Browse our courses and enrol your staff 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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