Find your next bright idea
Employing an apprentice is easier than you think and there’s financial support and help available from the government.
We have developed Apprenticeship programmes in Business & Management, Accountancy, Technology, Customer Services, and Digital Marketing. Employers are supported at every stage when working with Green Labyrinth as their training provider for their apprentices.
Give Your Business A Boost!
We aim to ensure that our Apprenticeship programmes support your strategic aims, future workforce plans, overarching talent strategy and provide you with a competitive edge in the marketplace and drive value for money. We recognise that large employers need a provider to deliver across their whole business with innovative learning styles, workplace appointments and online delivery.
The benefits for your business
Hiring an apprentice is a productive and effective way to grow talent and develop a motivated, skilled and qualified workforce.
86%
of employers said apprenticeships helped them develop skills relevant to their organisation
78%
of employers said apprenticeships helped them improve productivity
74%
of employers said apprenticeships helped them improve the quality of their product or service
Other benefits of working with apprentices include:
Adaptive
you can adapt their training according to the needs of your business
Motivated
they’re motivated to learn new skills
Upskill
you can expand and upskill your workforce
Why Hire an Apprentice?
Apprenticeships are now available in over 1,400 occupations and 175 industries, but what does that mean for you?
Lower Recruitment Costs
Employers can avoid high recruitment costs when hiring an Apprenticeship, Green Labyrinth offer a free no obligation candidate recruitment service to help you get the right apprentice.
Productivity Improved
85% of employers have said an Apprenticeship has improved the productivity of the entire organisation. Apprenticeships can be delivered to new and existing staff, this gives employers the ability to standardise the training and qualifications throughout!
Apprentice Now, Manager Next
Employers that invest in Apprenticeships are investing the future of their business and staff, bringing in new skills and an effective workforce for tomorrow!
Return on Investment
The UK Government offer a number of incentives for employers hiring an Apprenticeship and together with the savings the average return on investment is recouped within the first 18 months.
Training your apprentice
During their apprenticeship, your apprentice will receive two different types of training.
‘Off-the-job’ training is delivered by a training provider during your apprentice's normal working hours.
This training will teach your apprentice the knowledge, skills and behaviours set out in the apprenticeship standard so they can achieve occupational competence.
‘On-the-job’ training will be delivered by you, as the employer. You'll need to give your apprentice training and supervision to help them perform the job you've hired them for.
What To Consider Before Recruiting an Apprentice
Job role and responsibilities
Take time to think of the job description and responsibilities that the apprentice will be doing on a day to day basis and what are the areas you want the Apprenticeship to focus on to support your organisation in the best way.
On the job and off the job training
Your apprentice will need on the job and off the job training throughout their Apprenticeship and this resource needs to be calculated
On the job training = Day by day training provided by the employer, plan the resource, mentor or manager
Off the job training = Up to 20% of working hours toward the Apprenticeship coursework
Apprenticeship encouragement and value
Maintain an encouraging environment toward Apprenticeships, highlight their value and positive impact on your organisation. Positive approach to the importance of Apprenticeship progress and timely completion.
Employee rights & responsibilities
When hiring an apprentice or changing an existing member of staff to start an Apprenticeship
There are no changes in the rights and responsibilities for an apprentice
Employer Contributions
Employers that pay more than £3m in wages are liable to pay the apprenticeship levy. Levy-paying employers contribute 0.5 per cent of their pay bill into a fund each month, which can be reinvested in apprenticeship training for their business.
Green Labyrinth aim to help employers capitalise on their Levy funding opportunities
Employers that pay under £3m in wages are liable to pay 5% of the Total Negotiated Price of the Apprenticeship
Green Labyrinth give employers the choice to pay this in one payment or spread over (up to 10) monthly payments
For more information on funding an apprenticeship, please click on the relevant
How much it costs
As an employer with a pay bill of more than £3 million, you’re required to pay the apprenticeship levy. You can manage funds using the apprenticeship service and spend it on training and assessing your apprentices.
The government will apply a 10% top up to the funds you have in your account.
If you don’t have enough funds, you just pay 5% of the outstanding balance and the government will pay the rest. This is up to the funding band maximum allocated to each specific apprenticeship.
If you exceed the funding band maximum, you’ll need to pay all the additional costs.
Incentive payments for hiring a new apprentice
From 11 January 2022, employers can apply for a payment of £3,000 for new apprentices of any age who have an employment start date of 1 October 2021 to 31 January 2022. These apprentices must also have an apprenticeship start date of 1 October 2021 to 31 March 2022.
Applications open on 11 January 2022 and close on 15 May 2022.
For apprentices with an employment start date from 1 April 2021 to 30 September 2021, applications are now closed.
The incentive payment is in addition to the £1,000 employers already receive for hiring an apprentice:
16 to 18
19 to 24 with an education, health and care plan provided by their local authority or has been in the care of their local authority
Hire an apprentice who has been made redundant
You can also use a new government service to help you hire apprentices who have been made redundant.
Many of these apprentices may already have the skills and knowledge you need. Hiring a new apprentice in this way could mean you have a work-ready apprentice who can quickly add value to your business, shortening the time you’ll see a return on your investment.
It also means you are supporting an apprentice to complete their training and achieve their apprenticeship.
Paying your apprentice
You’re responsible for paying your apprentice for their normal working hours and any training they do as part of the apprenticeship.
You must pay them at least the National Minimum Wage rate depending on their age and the year of apprenticeship training they’re in.
The rates from April 2020 are:
Paying employer National Insurance contributions
Employers may not need to pay Class 1 National Insurance contributions for an apprentice, if the apprentice is:
under 25 years old
on an approved UK government apprenticeship standard or framework (these can differ depending on country)
earns less than £967 a week (£50,270 a year)
Support small businesses by transferring your unused levy funds
You can use your apprenticeship service account to transfer up to 25% of your unused levy funds to a business of your choice.
By transferring levy funds you will be supporting other businesses in paying for their apprenticeship training and assessment costs (up to the funding band maximum).
When creating a pledge, you can select how much funding will be available for that financial year. You can also choose which businesses you’d like to support by selecting optional sector, skill or location criteria.
Once submitted, your pledge will be advertised on a public website so that businesses can search and apply for a transfer of funds.
You can also find businesses to support by:
Transferring levy funds is a great way to help businesses and close the skills gaps in sectors and locations you want to support - creating more job and career development opportunities across England.
How much it costs
As an employer that doesn’t pay the apprenticeship levy, you pay just 5% towards the cost of training and assessing an apprentice.
The government will pay the rest up to the funding band maximum.
You’ll pay the training provider directly and agree on a payment schedule.
If you employ fewer than 50 employees, the government will pay 100% of the apprenticeship training costs up to the funding band maximum for apprentices aged:
Incentive payments for hiring a new apprentice
From 11 January 2022, employers can apply for a payment of £3,000 for new apprentices of any age who have an employment start date of 1 October 2021 to 31 January 2022. These apprentices must also have an apprenticeship start date of 1 October 2021 to 31 March 2022.
Applications open on 11 January 2022 and close on 15 May 2022.
For apprentices with an employment start date from 1 April 2021 to 30 September 2021, applications are now closed.
The incentive payment is in addition to the £1,000 employers already receive for hiring an apprentice:
Hire an apprentice who has been made redundant
You can also use a new government service to help you hire apprentices who have been made redundant.
Many of these apprentices may already have the skills and knowledge you need. Hiring a new apprentice in this way could mean you have a work-ready apprentice who can quickly add value to your business, shortening the time you’ll see a return on your investment.
It also means you are supporting an apprentice to complete their training and achieve their apprenticeship.
Paying your apprentice
You’re responsible for paying your apprentice for their normal working hours and any training they do as part of the apprenticeship.
You must pay them at least the National Minimum Wage rate depending on their age and the year of apprenticeship training they’re in.
The rates from April 2020 are:
Paying employer National Insurance contributions
Employers may not need to pay Class 1 National Insurance contributions for an apprentice, if the apprentice is:
Find a business to fund your apprenticeship costs
Large levy-paying businesses who pay the apprenticeship levy can pledge up to 25% of their unspent levy funds to a business of their choice.
Employer Reference Number
The UK Government give an Employer Reference Number (ERN / EDRS) to identify Apprenticeship employers, it is a requirement for an ERN to be in place for the Apprenticeship to start.
What is needed to get an ERN?
As part of the Apprenticeship sign up process Green Labyrinth will contact the EDRS team and create or link to your organisation ERN
New applications the EDRS team review our request and contact the organisation directly within 10 days.
Financial incentives for employers
From 11 January 2022, employers can apply for a payment of £3,000 for new apprentices of any age who have an employment start date of 1 October 2021 to 31 January 2022. These apprentices must also have an apprenticeship start date of 1 October 2021 to 31 March 2022.
Applications open on 11 January 2022 and close on 15 May 2022.
For apprentices with an employment start date from 1 April 2021 to 30 September 2021, applications are now closed.
The incentive payment is in addition to the £1,000 employers already receive for hiring an apprentice:
End-point assessments
End-point assessment (EPA) is the final stage of an apprenticeship. It is an impartial assessment of whether your apprentice has developed the skills, knowledge and behaviours outlined in the apprenticeship standard.
An EPAO is separate from the employer and training provider to ensure that the assessment remains impartial. You can search for an EPAO using the online tool 'Find an end-point assessment organisation for your apprentice.'