Increased Incentives for Employers hiring a Customer Service apprentice in East Lancs

Please note: This page contains some out of date information regarding available incentives.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
East Lancs

Great staff are key to having an adaptable, future-proof culture in 2021, and a key competitive edge in our shifting business context. If you are one of the many UK companies that have been out of the hiring game for a while, it’s time to take charge of your strategy by growing your term with the right talent for you. You can hire brilliant new staff while receiving financial support for doing so, with the government’s increased incentives for employers hiring a Customer Service apprentice in East Lancs.

The past year has been quiet for hospitality, retail, and customer-facing organisations in East Lancs, but now – demand is higher than ever. If your business is ready to take advantage of new opportunities, trade, and consumer traffic, you need friendly, helpful Customer Service staff to help you stand out. The increased incentives for employers hiring a Customer Service apprentice in East Lancs are one of the ways that the government is supporting UK businesses after a long quiet period. Specifically, you as an employer may be entitled to receive direct instalments of up to £4,000 for each new Customer Service apprentice aged between 16 and 18 that you hire before the 30th of September 2021.

During this limited period, the increased apprentice hiring incentives are available to eligible East Lancs employers who recruit a new staff member for their store, call centre, shop, hotel, restaurant, or business. With the amount to be awarded varying according to business size and the age of an employed new apprentice, East Lancs employers may be entitled to as much as £3,000 in additional incentive payments per new 16-18-year-old apprentice that they hire. These payments can be reinvested back into supporting the business, with many companies using their instalments to fund new product development, equipment, or much-needed technology.

NLTG can help you as an employer to benefit from the increased incentives for employers hiring a Customer Service apprentice in East Lancs by helping you find the perfect Customer Service Practitioner or Customer Service Specialist to join your team. With our action-based apprenticeship pathways, you can work alongside your new recruit to teach them the ropes yourself. With NLTG, you can even choose apprentices who have already met our English and Maths competency levels to hit the ground running!

If you’re considering hiring a new Customer Service, raising an apprenticeship vacancy is a brilliant way to find local apprenticeship candidates in your specific niche. All our Customer Service apprenticeship pathways involve your new team member working on your premises, so no travel costs are involved, and you can choose the most effective means of training your employee based on your strategy, goals, and processes. According to past employers across the UK, hiring an apprentice is one of the most reliable ways to ensure your new recruit is learning exactly what they need to help your firm succeed!

If professional, knowledgeable Customer Service staff are only the start of what your East Lancs company needs, NLTG offers a wide range of Business Administration, Business Improvement Techniques, Catering and Hospitality, Furniture Occupations, General Manufacturing, I.T. or Digital Marketing, Retail, Team Leading and Management, or Warehouse and Logistics apprenticeship pathways to help you secure the best talent for your company. If your candidates and firm meet the eligibility criteria, you may be entitled to receive an increased incentive payment for each new apprentice that you hire before September 30!

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 East Lancs area for your current employees

To grow your business sustainably, and well into the future, it’s essential to keep your whole workforce up to date with the latest know-how. We at NLTG can also help you shape a company for the future by upskilling your existing staff with the skills, approaches, and knowledge they need for 2021. 

With NLTG’s upskilling courses, you can update your co-workers’ professional capabilities through our wide range of apprenticeships, available to employees of all ages, and suite of e-learning courses, structured to allow your team to learn flexibly either in the workplace or at home. If your staff could use a motivating, engaging development opportunity that opens up their career prospects in your firm, why not look into our upskilling programs 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.

For apprentices aged under 25, you may not need to pay National Insurance contributions during their training.  Find out more by clicking here.

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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