Nursery World - Apprenticeships - Making apprenticeships count

What the ‘20 per cent off-the-job training’ rule means exactly, and how it can be delivered, have been causing headaches for employers and training companies alike. Ross Midgley has some answers

May 2017 ushered in a new era of apprenticeships, including a new funding system, and 20 per cent paid training time for apprentices. Employers now contribute to the cost of most new apprenticeships. Large employers do so through the apprenticeship levy, others by paying 10 per cent of the agreed cost to their chosen training provider before the Government provides the balance.

There is an exception for apprentices aged 16-18 working for small employers: these are still fully funded.

While not ecstatic about it, early years employers generally appear reconciled to paying a few hundred pounds to train an adult apprentice. What is alarming many settings, however, is the requirement to allow their apprentices significant paid time for study during the working week.

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