A Step-By-Step

Guide totaking on anApprentice

The Apprenticeship Hub

2014Nottingham City Council in partnership with The Creative Quarter

WHAT IS ANAPPRENTICESHIP?

An Apprenticeship is a way for young people and adultlearners to earn a wage while they train in a real job, gaining a real qualification and laying thefoundations for a successful future.

Apprenticeshipsare paid jobs

providing on-the-job experience and

the opportunity togain nationally

recognisedqualifications.

CLICK TO WATCH: A day in the life of an Apprentice inThe Creative Quarter.

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Essentially, it is work-basedlearning where a young person learns “on the job” in the work-place complemented by additionalrelevant training. Young people get real experience of working in a business environment and a foot in the door of an industry they may be interested in.

All Apprenticeships have set content. However, you can add extra content that meets the specific needs of your business.

Most Apprenticeships are delivered in partnership with a trainingorganisation (usually a college or training provider). This organisationprovides training for the apprentice so they come out of the employment witha qualification and a set of defined skills. There is more information on therole of the training organisation in the Employers’ Guide to Apprenticeship Training Organisations.

An Apprentice must receive theappropriate minimum wage.

For details on the national minimum wage, see here.

An Apprenticeship is made up of a number of separate qualifications.The individual qualifications are combined to create an ApprenticeshipFramework. For more information and guidance on how different employers choose the right Apprenticeship framework for them, see here.

WHAT IS ANAPPRENTICESHIPFRAMEWORK?An Apprenticeship framework is a definition of requirements foran Apprenticeship programme.It is used by training providers,colleges and employers to ensure that all apprenticeship programmes are delived consistently and to agreed standards. Each frameworkincludes details of the qualificationsneeded to be completed, the key skills targets, and any otherrequirements of the Apprenticeship.Each Apprentice will have their own framework which will be agreed with the training provider.

APPRENTICESHIPQUALIFICATIONS

Apprenticeships areavailable at intermediate, advanced and higher (degree) level, covering more than 170 industries and 1500 roles from advertising to nucleardecommissioning.

More information on the typesof Apprenticeshipavailable here.

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WHY WOULD YOU WANTTO EMPLOY AN APPRENTICE?

Having an Apprentice can be really good for your business. Apprenticeships deliver for businesses and help them grow by:

Reducing training and recruitment costsIncreasing productivity and your bottom lineDeveloping a skilled, motivated and qualified workforceImproving customer service resultsProviding financial return on investment

More than 100,000 employers, in over 160,000 workplaces, currently useApprenticeships to attract new talent, re-skill existing staff and tackle skill shortages. Apprenticeships are available to businesses of all sizes and from allsectors in England and Wales.

Employment is a fundamental part of an Apprenticeship. An Apprentice must be employed in a job role with a productive purpose.

WATCH: How great it is to have an Apprentice.

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Apprenticeships deliver real returns to yourbottom line, helping to improve productivity and competitiveness. Training Apprentices can also be more cost effective than hiring skilled staff,leading to lower overall training and recruitment costs.

Apprenticeships deliver skills designed around your business needs providing the skilled workers you need for the future. They also help you develop the specialist skills you need to keep pace with the latest technology and working practices in yoursector.

IMPROVE YOURBOTTOM LINE

FILL YOUR SKILLS GAPS

MOTIVATE YOUR WORKFORCEApprentices tend to be eager, motivated, flexible and loyal to the company thatinvested in them. Remember, an Apprentice is with you because they want to be – they have made an active choice to learn on the job and a commitment to a specific career.

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HOW MUCH WILL IT COST?

The cost of taking on an Apprentice depends on the wage you pay them (minimum wage or above) and how long they are employed for.

You can find more information on National Minimum Wage rates here.

Employee EligibilityThe individual needs to be aNottingham City resident, agedbetween 18–24 and unemployed signing on to a work related benefit.

Employer Eligibility Any organisation based inNottingham City Council’s boundary or within reasonable travel time or distance of the city is eligible. Who pays the grant?Nottingham City Council.

NJF(NOTTINGHAMJOBS FUND)The Nottingham Jobs Fund (NJF) is designed to encourage employers to create new jobs or Apprenticeships for unemployed people by offering a financial incentive of £3,900 or £4,900 to employers to take on new employees depending on the age of our Apprentices.

INCENTIVE SCHEMES

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In Nottingham, there are a range of incentiveschemes you can tap into to help your businesscover the costs of recruiting an Apprentice. Each has its own set of conditions or criteria that you or the Apprentice need to meet.

Here is some information about current incentive schemes running in Nottingham.

For more information on the different incentive schemes and eligibility criteria see page. APPENDIX

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AGE (Apprenticeship Grant for Employers) Employee Eligibility

The individual needs to be aged 16-24.

Employer Eligibility To be eligible, the employer must have less than 1000 employees in the UK.

Who pays the grant? This grant is paid to the employer by the Training Provider.

The Apprenticeship Grantfor Employers (AGE) supportsbusinesses, that would nototherwise be in a position to do so, to recruit individuals aged16-24 into employment through the Apprenticeship programme.You can receive up to 10 grants in total; each worth £1,500.

The Priority Ward Grant

Employee EligibilityPersons aged between 16-24 years on the date they start theirApprenticeship.

Who pays the grant?Nottingham City Council.

Employer EligibilityEmployers must either be based in or recruit an Apprentice currently living in the following five priority wards;Arboretum, Bridge, Berridge, Dales and St Anns.

Nottingham Enterprise ZoneEmployers can access a Nottingham Enterprise Zone Apprenticeship Grant of between £1,500 and £2,500 depending on their circumstances and the level of training of their apprentice.

Employee Eligibility:Young person needs to be aged 16-24 and be a Nottingham City Resident.

Employer Eligibility:Any organisation based on one of Nottingham’s four Enterprise Zones:Boots, Nottingham Science Park, Medipark, Beeston Business Park

Who pays the grant?Nottingham City Council.

Employers based in five priority wards can access a grant of £500 depending on their circumstances.

RECRUITMENTSUPPORT

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Contact The Nottingham Apprenticeship HubThe Hub will help you:

Identify the right Framework and appropriate training level to ensure the Apprentice develops the skills your business needs.

Identify an Apprenticeship Training Agency (ATA) if you feel yourbusiness is too small to employ an apprentice directly. The ATA will employ theApprentice on your behalf.

1Do you need Financial Help?The Hub will help you:

Identify and apply for any financial support for which you may be eligible for.

Calculate the salary that you will need to pay your Apprentice. 2Identify a TrainingProvider

The Hub will refer the employer to the National Apprenticeship Service (NAS).

NAS will provide a matching service for the employer, ensuring that a suitable Training Provider is allocated. NAS will help the employer identify the best pro-vider to deliver the training element of the Apprenticeship.

3Do you Need Help withRecruitment?

The Training Provider will adver-tise the vacancy nationally onwww.apprenticeships.org.uk and manage the application process.

The Hub can provide support dur-ing the interview stage by organisingselection days and being part ofinterview panels.

The Hub will promote your vacancylocally.

4www.nottinghamcity.gov.uk/apprentice

www.nottinghamjobs.com

www.gov.uk/jobsearch

www.twitter.com/nottmapprentice

www.facebook.com/nottmapprentice

EMPLOYING AN APPRENTICE

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What happens when you find someone you want to employ?

At this stage the Employer should email The Hub with applicant details including: Name, Address, Date of Birth.

The Hub and Training Provider will then confirm eligibility for financialincentives.

Payment dates for financial incentives will be confirmed with employer at this stage.

5The Training provider will agree with you:

A training timetable - dates for the Apprentice to undertake their training outside of the workplace.

Assessment dates – when they will come into the workplace to observe the young person at work.

Key milestones that need to be reached during the Apprenticeship.

An end date for the Apprenticeship.

6Starting the Apprenticeship

The Training Provider will support the Employer to embed the Apprentice in their workforce.

Employer ensures Apprentice is regis-tered on to payroll and has a contract of employment.

Apprentice must have a designated line manager, and undertake a full induction.

7Ongoing Support

The Employer will receive ongoing pastoral support from the Training Provider and The Hub.8

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CASE STUDIESLeftLionJared Wilson - Editor-in-Chief

In 2013 we took on four Apprentices at LeftLion. Two in editorial roles and two in sales and marketing roles. We initially only meant to take on one in each role, butafter we advertised the roles we had over 100 applications and had a good crop to choose from. I think part of thereason we got so many applications is that we run a magazine aimed at a youngaudience and we advertised the jobs inthere.

All four of our Apprentices have proven to be a joy to work with and have helped to expand our business. Our turnover has doubled over the last year and theApprentices have helped play a big part in that, not least by taking over tasks, freeing the rest of the team up toconcentrate on building the business.

Our Apprentices have line managers who they can turn to for support. Our Editor manages the Editorial Apprentices and our Sales and Marketing Manager manages the Sales Apprentices.

Our Sales Apprentices have built theirconfidence enough to approach majorclients; securing regular advertising deals. Our Editorial Apprentices havecontributed regularly to the magazine and have interviewed internationally-knownmusicians and actors. In the last year allfour of them have gained great experience and some of them will stay on with us after their Apprenticeships end.

We have watched our Apprentices grow as good young people. I’m not too old toremember being their age; young and full of ambition. My top tip would be to try and keep them engaged. If the work you need them to do is boring then explain why it is you need it done.

Bridie Squires - Editorial Apprentice

Before I joined LeftLion I jumped between roles as a cleaner, to student, tobarmaid, to croupier, to telesales agent and more. Although I’ve grown with each job, I found night shifts andmanagement tedious and unforgiving.

My Apprenticeship at LeftLion has been a breath of fresh air. I love the creativity thatbounces from person to person and the laughter that ensues because of it.I feel like I learn more and more each day, professionally and creatively through some really meaningful conversations.

Over the last year I’ve written a piece on the successfully protested eviction of a creative collective on Canning Cir-cus, interviewed world-famous DJ Gilles Peterson, and reviewed countless gigs.My self-confidence has emerged from the fog, my writing voice is shaping up, I’m moreorganised, and I’m forever learning new skills as a subeditor, proof reader, journalist, reviewer, interviewer and as a human being.

I’d recommend an Apprenticeship like this to anyone. It provides you with a confi-dence boost because you are using your skills to achieve practical and valuable outcomes as opposed to writing course-work or doing exams. That’s not to say that those things aren’t useful, but they can sometimes feel redundant when you’re unsure about the direction of your life.

It’s easy to lose sight of your dreams and get stuck in a rut of making money formoney’s sake, but it’s not impossible to turnit around and do what you really love in life. Find what it is that makes you tick and just keep doing it. I hope that more and more people get to experience the same upliftthat I have.

Read Bridie’s work atwww.leftlion.co.uk

Netherfield ForumTina Simpson - General Manager

Using The Nottingham Apprenticeship Hub is a quick and easy way to find the right Apprentice to fit your business needs. The Nottingham Apprenticeship Hub assigns to you an experienced ApprenticeshipDevelopment Officer who explores your needs, requirements and wish list for an Apprentice. The Hub helped us to find a suitableApprentice and offered their support all the way through the process. We cannot express how much we have benefited from The Hub in such a short period of time. Our Apprentice fits in with our staff and customers really well. Her assessor is pleased with the qual-ity of work produced and we know ourApprentice is on target to complete her Level 3 Apprenticeship in Customer Service. As a charity we are now looking foranother Apprentice and we will be using The Nottingham Apprenticeship Hub onceagain.

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Natalie McCullum – Customer Service Apprenticeship Level 2

I chose to do a Customer Service Appren-ticeship because it is a good way to learn and get a qualification within an industry I like.

I was interested in working at TheNetherfield Forum as the organisa-tion appealed to me. I thought it looked like a good place to learn a variety ofdifferent skills in an interesting area of work. When I visited the Centre I got agood feel for the community spirit and thestaff and customers were extremelywelcoming. My role has a dual function. Whenworking in the Cafe; I serve customers, help with food preparation, cook and serve food, bake cakes, cash the till up and help keep the kitchen and seating area clean and tidy. I also maintain the outdoor areas and I am learning about the herbs and vegetables we grow.

In the reception, some of the things I doinclude; greeting customers, helping withcustomer enquiries, answering calls,working on the social media pages, dealing with suppliers, using all officeequipment and making leaflets and posters for the Centre.

A recent challenge I have faced is having to take on more responsibility when the centre is busy. I have embraced this challenge and coped extremely well which surprised me. I have enjoyed the additional responsibility.

The benefits of doing an Apprenticeship at the Netherfield Forum is that I am learning lots of new skills, knowledge and gaining great customer and working relationships.

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GIANLUCA SERGIDIRECTOR OF ISIR

The decision to recruit Apprentices emerged as a result of a project initiated by the ISIR based at the University of Nottingham. The project focuses on developing strongerrelations between academic research andindustry in the global screen industriessector (film, television, gaming). Since the project involves partners in the UK, US and China it was essential to secure support for those involved in running the project.

The two Apprentices we employ holddifferent, though related, roles. Sam works closely with the Director of ISIRto support his activities, includingorganising and running meetings, organ-ising travel, liaising between departments and partners. Dan is placed within the Asia Business Centre at the University ofNottingham. The Asia Business Centre is one of ISIR’s most important sources of business support in China, and one of the most important areas of engagement for the project.

The main challenge we face as anemployer is the same as the challenges our two Apprentices face - needing to get up to speed with the complexities and special nature of both the particularsector in which the Apprentices areemployed in and the specificities of their respective departments.

The Hub was instrumental in our decision to employ Apprentices, both in terms ofproviding financial support for theiremployment and in terms of ensuring we understood exactly what was expected of us as employers and of our Apprentices. We are very grateful for their unfailing support.

It would be difficult to underestimate how beneficial having Dan and Sam has been for ISIR. The key benefit was that ofgaining two energetic and enthusiastic workers who could not only support the project but who could also offer insight and helpful suggestions on tackling a number of issues concerning all aspects of the project.

Dan TaylorApprenticeship Case Study

I chose to pursue an Apprenticeship as a change from the traditional education route – I had just come out of Sixth Form and wanted to do something different,however going straight to University didn’t appeal to me. For me, an Apprenticeshipwas the logical progression as it not only gives me valuable experience in theworkplace, something highly sought-after today, but also a wage with which to support myself and my ongoingeducation. I chose the ISIR to take on my Apprenticeship with because of thereputation and prestige of the institution (The University Of Nottingham) and I knew many more fantastic opportunities would present themselves as a result of this.

In my everyday role, I support the team to ensure business runs smoothly andefficiently. Gathering information, pro-cessing invoices and procurement are among my most common tasks, along withorganising meeting venues, taking minutes, and disseminating them to the attendees. My challenges come in the form of liaising with clients and less well-known colleagues, however through time and experience this has become less of an issue.

First and foremost, this Apprenticeship gives me exactly the type of experience that will be crucial in putting me that ‘extra bit ahead’ for jobs I am applying for, as well as the chance to meet invaluable contacts which may help me progress my careerfurther. Furthermore, this apprenticeshipallows to me to see, in a professionalenvironment, where I’m both strongest and weakest, and allows me to practice the tasks or areas that I’m not so confident in.I am in a very good position financially-speaking and am able to give something back to my parents for taking up space!

Nottingham University(Institute for Screen

Industries Research)

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APPRENTICESHIPS INCREATIVE QUARTER WITH UPTO £6,400 FOR YOUR BUSINESS

WORTH ACLOSER LOOK!

If you’d like to inject some fresh thinkinginto your business, taking on anApprentice can be a great way to get the talent you need.

And it’s easier and more cost-effective than you might think, with funding and free recruitment support available from the Nottingham Apprenticeship Hub.

www.nottinghamcity.gov.uk/apprentice

CHALLENGES

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PaperworkThe paperwork required to access the financial incentives can feel overcomplicated to some people. The Apprenticeship Hub and yourTraining Provider should help you with the required forms and paperwork. They are there tosupport and to answer yourquestions. Please contact them with any support needs or queries you have.

Managing Cashflow

In the case of some incentiveschemes, the first payment is not available until after week 13 of theapprenticeship. Be sure when to expect your first payment and manage your cashflow carefully.

Processes

You may have some difficulties inunderstanding how the learning and assessment process works for your apprentice. Your Training Provider will offer support to help you understand the processes and will be able toanswer any questions you have.

Working With Young People

For some young people, this may be their first taste of a real workingenvironment. They will need on the job training and support to function well and be fulfilled in their work. Be sure to schedule in regular meetings with the young person and the appointed line manager to help keep their work and learning on track.

Taking on an Apprentice is no different from taking on any otheremployee. Inevitably as a business there are some challenges you will face on the journey to taking on an apprentice.

WATCH:Apprentices share their views.

REWARDS

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Jigsaw24 is a great supporter of the Apprenticeship Programme because, as a local business, we aspire to recruit and retain local ‘home grown’ talent.

We have put together a detailed programme for both Business and IT Apprentices which will give them a full and rounded picture of theoverall business - either from acommercial or Technical viewpoint. We feel that a ‘rotation’ every four months around our differentdepartments gives the Apprentice a better understanding of where their strengths lie.

For example, the Business Adminis-tration Apprentice will spend time in the Accounts, Purchasing, Sales and Product Management Depart-ments. This ensures that each of ourApprentice gets to know manyaspects of not just how our business runs, but an overall commercial feel for any business and what makes it a success.

The IT Department Apprentice’srotation concentrates on the Bench Engineers and physical repairs of our products, through to the Technical support we provide to our customers.

This gives a better perspective of customer service and the speedrequired when dealing with the many queries we receive on a daily basis.

We fully understand that providing an apprenticeship programme could, at times be a difficult and challenging undertaking. We realise that the young people who join us may have no idea of working in the commercial world and that we should also provide them with mentoring around all aspects ofworking life – such as how to dressand conduct themselves with teammembers, customers, suppliers and other employees within the business.

The Apprenticeship Hub has provided us with invaluable assistance. Frombeing the ‘first port of call’ andintroducing us to an appropriate Training Provider to sourcing the most suitable candidates for our organisa-tion. We have been helped with tasks which would have proven unfeasible if not for the support of The Hub’s team members.

Our long term aim is to providelocal young people with long-lasting career opportunities and to furnish them with the skills,qualities and confidence to pursue their dreams!

Testimonial:Jigsaw24

NOTTINGHAMJOBS PLEDGE

The Nottingham Jobs Pledge with Working for Youth provides businesses with the chance to bring further growth to Nottingham and provide support, training and employment opportunities to the young people of the city.

Employers can take part in the Nottingham Jobs Pledge by making one or more of the following Pledges:

Work ExperienceOffer work experience placements to young people and adults.

ApprenticeshipsDevelop Apprenticeships for 16-24 year old city residents.

Nottingham Jobs FundCreate new roles for unemployed city residents.

Nottingham Jobs HubA free bespoke recruitment solution to meet employer’s recruitment needs.

Employability Support in schoolsWork with City schools to encourage employability activity for pupils.

Financial sponsorshipOf Employment and Skills programmes.

In-kind sponsorship of pre-employment activitySuch as use of facilities, staff volunteers for mock interviews and recruitment exercises.

InternshipsOffer extended paid work experience for undergraduates.

ProcurementCreate jobs for residents through local employment clauses in your procurement activitiesTraineeships: offer work placement opportunities for Traineeship programmes for young people.

The Apprenticeship Hub will explore the range of services on offer within theNottingham Jobs Pledge and help the employer identify and make further Pledges.

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CONTACT INFOGET IN TOUCH

Contact us for more information regarding Apprenticeships and The Apprenticeship Hub.

Iram Yaqub 0115 876 2824

apprenticeship.hub@nottinghamcity.gov.uk

Apprenticeship HubNottingham City CouncilFloor 4Loxley HouseStation StreetNottinghamNG2 3NG

The Apprenticeship Hub

The Creative Quarter

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/NottmApprentice

@NottmApprentice

Call 0115 876 2824

visit www.nottinghamcity.gov.uk/apprentice

Access up to £6,400 in funding towards the cost of your Apprentice.We can advertise your vacancy and help with the recruitment process.

HOW CAN THE APPRENTICESHIP HUB HELP?We can help you to

• apply for up to £6,400 if you take on a Nottingham City resident as an Apprentice

• identify the Apprenticeship that would meet your business’ needs

• identify the best Apprenticeship Provider to deliver the training

WHAT SHOULD YOU DO NEXT?To find out more about employing a cityresident as an Apprentice, please visit www.nottinghamcity.gov.uk/apprentice where you cancomplete a contact form. You canalso call us on 0115 876 2824 to speak to our Apprenticeship Development Office or email apprenticeship.hub@nottinghamcity.gov.uk for more information.