An apprenticeship is a job with training. Through an apprenticeship, an apprentice will gain the technical knowledge, practical experience and wider skills and behaviours that they need to be competent in their immediate job and future career. The apprentice will gain this through:
- Formal off-the-job training (which is the responsibility of the provider); and
- The opportunity to apply these new skills in a real work environment, in a productive job role (which is the responsibility of the apprentice’s employer)
Succession Planning & Identifying skills gaps
Succession planning is key to ensuring that your service continues to provide well-led, consistent quality care, both today and in the future. With a high turnover of staff across the sector, employers need to protect their service by
developing emerging talent. Having a solid succession plan in place to ensure positions are filled quickly by skilled and knowledgeable employees will reduce the impact of leavers on the business and is more cost effective than recruiting.
Effective learning and development is a critical part of talent and succession strategies. Giving opportunities for personal and professional development across all levels will help employees feel valued, challenged and see their own opportunities for future growth. Developing talent is attractive and cost-effective and many employers use apprenticeship programmes to develop new employees to fill key skill gaps in their business. Through tailored apprenticeship programmes It provides opportunities for professional development, fostering a culture of continuous learning, and creating an environment where growth is encouraged.
There are a range of apprenticeship standards available. To help you select the appropriate standard please use the Apprenticeship Programmes & Career Development Pathway & Apprenticeship Comparison Tool (ACT) available on the Social Care Training Hub Apprenticeship home page.
An apprenticeship training provider works with employers and the apprentice to help plan the overall apprenticeship, and to deliver the off-the-job learning that will help your apprentice to develop new skills and gain valuable workplace experience.
All apprenticeship providers must be approved to be able to offer apprenticeships. Approved providers will then be able to receive government funding through the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA), part of the Department for Education.
To help employers select an approved and procured training provider please use the Apprenticeship Comparison Tool (ACT) located on the Social Care Training Hub Apprenticeship home page.
All employers will need to create an apprenticeship service account. Your apprenticeship account will be used to access and administer all apprenticeship funding and is a mandatory part of the apprenticeship process. You can view further guidance about setting up your digital account here
Employing an apprentice: Create an account – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
Please use Social Care Apprenticeships Funding – Lancashire and South Cumbria Training Hub (lscthub.co.uk) tab on the social care training hub apprenticeship home page.
If you are recruiting a new apprenticeship position, you will need to think about the potential candidates that you are trying to reach. There are a number of ways that you can advertise your vacancy (you are not limited to just one) and lots of help out there for you too
The Social Care Training Hub apprenticeship team can support employers in advertising their vacancy through the careers in health and social care NW team. Please contact [email protected] or [email protected]
· Employers can also advertise on the Gov Digital Apprenticeship Service account (DAS) to create apprenticeship adverts. By using the ‘Recruit an apprentice’ service, you will be able to create adverts and easily manage applications in one place. On there is also a task list available, supporting you through the recruit journey.
· Your own website / internal comms
· Social media
· Your training provider
Apprenticeships are a good way for employers to also achieve wider social impact, by considering the diversity of the workforce, in creating opportunities that could enable an individual to demonstrate their talents, and in supporting local communities. Employers are encouraged to think differently about the ways that they identify and recruit talented individuals into their businesses and focus on how they can design dynamic recruitment processes that allow the individual to demonstrate their talents and potential.
Example of ideas
· Simplify the process by asking for a CV and/or cover letter. This could be a ‘digital’ CV (such as a video recording)
· Encourage candidates to submit a statement about why they would make a great apprentice in a format of their choice – it could be a poster, letter, film etc.
· Attend a local careers fair and start by having a conversation with individuals in person.
· Ask your provider if they could facilitate an event for potential candidates to visit your workplace and meet the team, then ask them to create a presentation about what interests them most
Employers should ensure that all recruitment methods treat candidates fairly, without discrimination or bias.
Skills for Care Recruitment & Retaining Your Workforce support
To employ an apprentice, you need to check and meet the following terms and conditions.
· Your apprentice should:
· be 16 years old or older by the end of the summer holidays
· not be in full-time education
· the individual must have a valid and eligible residency status and the right to work in England.
· give your apprentice a contract of employment that is at least long enough to allow them to complete their apprenticeship successfully
· work in a role that is relevant to their apprenticeship. This is to enable them to gain the knowledge, skills and behaviours they need to achieve their apprenticeship
· work enough paid hours each week to undertake sufficient training to achieve their apprenticeship
· pay them for the time they are in work and in off-the-job training
Apprentices can be new employees or current employees already working for you.
The minimum duration of each apprenticeship is based on the apprentice working at least 30 hours a week, including any off-the-job training they undertake. Those who work less than 30 hours per week can still be an apprentice, but they will receive their training over a longer period.
When recruiting a new apprentice, employers are able to decide how much they wish to pay their apprentices, so long as it complies with National Minimum Wage requirements for the individual.
Establishing your apprentice’s starting salary is an important decision for an employer. The salary will be a key part of the overall package that you offer, but you can also consider the other ways to make your position attractive to potential candidates.
You could do some research into other vacancies
· What salary + benefits are other employers offering for similar vacancies?
· Have you spoken to your training provider about previous positions that they have helped employers to advertise? What worked well?