Hire an Apprentice

Hiring an apprentice or upskilling an existing employee is easier than you think, and there’s financial support and help available from the government.

Do you need an extra pair of hands for your business?

Considering hiring an apprentice?

An apprenticeship is a real job that helps people to earn while they learn, gaining valuable knowledge, skills and behaviours tailored to a specific job role. Apprentices, like any other employees, have a contract with you.

An apprenticeship must last at least 8 months. Some apprenticeship courses can be up to 6 years long, but the average is 2 years.

Apprentices will be trained by a training provider so they become competent in their role. They’ll have to complete a certain number of hours of training. How many hours depends on the apprenticeship they’re doing. Training is done during working hours – usually about a day a week or regular blocks of a week.

Apprentices will have an assessment at the end of their apprenticeship to prove they’re occupationally competent. They’ll get a recognised qualification.

Who can do an apprenticeship

Existing employees can do an apprenticeship, or you can hire someone new. They must be:

16 or over
living in England
not in full-time education

Benefits for your organisation

Apprenticeships can:

build the skills your business needs
create a pipeline of talent for your organisation
improve productivity and staff morale

Find funding and support

Explore the different funding opportunities available to support you when hiring apprentices.

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Understanding apprenticeship benefits and funding

Use this service to explore what benefits apprentices can bring to your organisation and calculate what funding could be available towards your apprentices training costs.

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