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Practical training and experience with the latest industry processes put your future in the safest hands

What are apprenticeships?

Calling all employers – do believe the hype

Need a new recruit with added oomph? Apprentices come in all shapes and sizes (and ages). More than anything, apprentices are motivated. Trust us, we know – we employ more than a few and working with them has been a revelation.

Apprentices learn on the job. They’re working towards a qualification and they’re working for you – developing skills and knowledge directly relevant to your business.

Apprentices of all ages have made an active choice to learn on the job and are committed to a specific career. So they’re motivated, flexible and loyal to the company that’s investing in them.

Factor in the government funding that’s available to cover their training costs and apprentices start to make even more sense. And when the economy picks up, your qualified apprentice is trained up and ready to make an even bigger contribution.

In the meantime you can recruit an apprentice to fill a specific gap in your staff, developing their skills around this particular priority.

  • Apprentices aged between 16 to 18: no training costs, employers only required to pay a salary.
  • Apprentices aged 19+: employers are asked to make a contribution towards apprenticeship fees in addition to a salary, typically on average £600 per year.

We offer a search and matching service. Whatever your needs, we can help you find suitable candidates for interview.

What are the advantages for apprentices?

An apprenticeship is a direct route to paid work with a future. You earn while you learn and when you qualify you’ve got what it takes to move on up in your career.

Learn every day alongside experienced colleagues, develop new skills with support from your visiting assessor and spend a limited amount of time at college to cover the theory side

This off the job study is usually on a day-release basis at college. As a student at West Herts College, you’ll have access to all the support and facilities that we have to offer

What you get at the end is qualifications and certificates – plus, invaluable experience of doing a real job in a real business.

Apprenticeships – a quick guide to the essentials

More than 130,000 companies offer apprenticeships nationally and the number of apprentices is set to grow substantially, with the Coalition Government seeing them as essential to economic growth.

The mix of training on the job with a limited amount of time spent at college getting to grips with the theory side, means apprenticeships genuinely focus on work skills and working life.

We offer Apprenticeships (NVQ2) and Advanced Apprenticeships (NVQ3), each including industry specific technical certificates. As well as essential skills in communications, English, maths and IT.

Apprenticeships take between one and four years to complete, depending on the level of the course, the industry sector and the ability of the apprentice.

An apprentice can expect their pay to increase with their skills and abilities. Other benefits – pension contributions and employer subsidies, for instance – will match those offered by the employer to all their staff.

Over the lifetime of an apprentice’s career, research shows that apprentices earn, on average, £100k more than people who don’t reach this level.

Higher levels of study and professional development could include a Foundation Degree or professional qualifications. It’s all about what’s right for your career.

Information and advice

To find out more or offer an apprentice vacancy, please contact our Skills for Business apprenticeship team on 01923 812350 or email apprenticeships@westherts.ac.uk

The courses

Apprenticeships (NVQ2)

Advanced Apprenticeships (NVQ3)