Working together to develop the next generation of talent
Fully funded* industry recognised and brand accredited learning for new and existing employees
This guide has been developed for employers to support their understanding of the Apprenticeship Programme and includes essential information relating to Funding, Qualifications, and Recruitment.
The Apprenticeship Programme supports retailers to identify and attract a new generation of talent, providing them with the platform to grow their professional careers.
We combine industry recognised qualifications and manufacturer accreditation over 12-40 months, ensuring that apprentices develop the skills, bahvaviours and competencies to thrive in a busy and professional retail environment.
We offer 8 different learning pathways covering technical and commercial roles. Each one can be structured to suit new industry entrants, or semi-experienced staff.
Each one of our programmes is eligable for up to 100% Government or Levy funding and we aim to support employers to understand this process.
We’re also on hand to support employers to advertise, employ and enrol via our free recruitment service. Read on for more information.
What Apprenticeships do we offer?
There are 8 different apprenticeship pathways covering every retailer specialism. Each programme is linked to a professional qualification and brand accreditation, while all of our programmes are eligable for Govenment and Apprenticeship Levy Funding.
- Service Technician | Level 2 & 3
- Digital Marketer | Level 3
- Service Customer Advisor | Level 2 & 3
- Parts Customer Advisor | Level 2
- Business Administration | Level 3
- Sales Executive | Level 2
- Damage Panel (or Paint) Technician | Level 3
- Team Leader & Supervisor | Level 3
For more information about our programmes, FAQs, and funding infomration, please download our programme brochure below, or keep reading.
Programme Pathways
There are 8 different apprenticeship pathways available. Each has been carefully developed to combine a professional training with the latest brand and industry learning.
All of our programmes are eligable for Government or Apprenticeship Levy funding.
For a high level overview of each programme please download the Programme Pathways Overview PDF (below).
Apprenticeship Funding Explained
We want to help you access government funding to expand your workforce through recruiting an apprentice, or enroling your existing staff onto our professional courses (eg. Leadership & Supervisor, Digital Marketing, or any of our Apprenticeship pathways)
If your annual wage bill is over £3million, the cost of training will be funded by the funds in your Digital Apprenticeship Service (DAS) account. These funds already build automatically and will be organised by your central payroll function.
If your annual wage bill does not exceed £3million, the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) provide 95-100% funding for the cost of training, subject to the size of your business.
How do I know if my business is eligable for 100% funding?
- If your annual wage bill is less than £3million and you have less than 50 employees you will be eligible for 100% funding for individuals aged 16-18 or 95% funding for individuals aged 19+, you will be required to fund the remaining 5% in installments (this is usually a token amount)
- If your annual wage bill is less than £3million and you have more than 50 employees you will be eligible for 95% funding for individuals aged 16+, you will be required to contribute the remaining 5%.
Employers can also access £3,000 for new apprentices of any age who join their organisation from 1 April 2021 to 30 September 2021.
The incentive payment is in addition to the £1,000 employers already receive for hiring an apprentice:
- aged 16 to 18 years old
- under 25 with an education, health and care plan or who has been in the care of their local authority
The payments are different to apprenticeship levy funds, so you can spend it on anything to support your organisation’s costs. For example, on uniforms, your apprentice’s travel or their salary. You do not have to pay it back.
We’ll discuss the eligibility criteria and timelines with you in more detail prior to your apprentice’s enrolment. For more information about funding, please use the link below.
There's never been a better time to invest in new skills for your business.
Access upto £15,000* in funding to support the training and development of your new apprentice. For more information, please contact us today.
Free Recruitment Support Service
Take advantage of our free recruitment support service and register a vacancy today.
The team will work with you to advertise on a range of National Apprenitceship Job Boards – including apprenticeships.gov.uk. They’ll manage all of the initial applications on your behalf and will run eligability and suitability assessments to ensure that you see the very best candidates.