Apprenticeships are work-based training programmes that develop the skills and behaviours needed to succeed in a specific career.
Apprenticeship schemes differ across England, Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland in areas such as programme structure and funding options.
Lifetime Training is a national training provider and provides award-winning apprenticeship training across every area of the UK.
Apprenticeships are open to learners aged 16 and over and can be used to develop existing employees or attract new talent. Programmes will generally last at least a year and are available for entry-level roles up to management and beyond.
Each apprenticeship programme has been designed to meet employer business requirements and ensure apprentices are fully competent in their role. There are a huge range of apprenticeships available for every job role and industry, with funding options available to employers of all sizes.
Read more on apprenticeship rules for employers.
How to offer an apprenticeship
When employers choose Lifetime as their apprenticeship training provider, we provide a fully managed service to guide employers through the setup of the apprenticeship programme. The first step is to select an apprenticeship programme which aligns with your business needs, mapped to a role you want to develop within your company. The following steps will take your programme from initial planning to successful launch.
Lifetime will work closely with you to develop a clear strategy for your apprenticeship programme. Steps include defining the measures of success to fully understand return on investment.
After selecting a suitable apprenticeship, Lifetime will run curriculum scoping session to align your programme with your workforce development needs. We can map apprenticeships to career progression and align with any existing internal training.
For levy payers, Lifetime will forecast funding through a bespoke levy calculator. We’ll work together to plan your one to five-year strategy using our detailed Levy modelling software.
Lifetime can develop a full engagement campaign to gain buy-in across every level of your business. This includes a range of marketing and educational collateral for managers and prospective learners.
Our dedicated launch team will ensure your programme is fully embedded in your business. In addition, expect ongoing reporting and levy management updates to ensure programme is on track.
Lifetime’s apprentice recruitment service is included within training costs. Lifetime will shortlist and screen internal nominations and external recruits to criteria set by the employer.
In England apprenticeships are either paid for by the apprenticeship levy or through the process of co-investment. Large employers with a payroll of more than £3 million will pay the apprenticeship levy and can use the resulting fund towards apprenticeship training.
Non levy-paying companies will fund apprenticeships through the process of co-investment: the employer pays 5% of training costs, with the government topping up the remaining amount.
In the devolved nations such as Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales, apprenticeships are still government funded.
Read our guide to the apprenticeship levy for more information about funding options.
Apprenticeships schemes are devolved to the Welsh Government, so provision is different to other areas of the UK. Apprenticeship training is centrally funded in Wales, and programmes follow frameworks developed by the Welsh Government. Similar to the frameworks method in England, Welsh apprentices are assessed throughout the programme and gain a qualification once completed.
Funding is available for learners aged 16 to 65 in priority sectors such as hospitality. Networks called Regional Skills Partnerships have been established to understand skill gaps on a local level.
Welsh rules come into play if an apprentice is working in Wales more than 50% of the time.
Apprenticeships differ slightly in Scotland to those being delivered in England. Scottish apprenticeships do not require End-point Assessment to achieve the approved qualification. On completion, learners will be rewarded a nationally recognised certificate in their subject.
Scotland has three levels of apprenticeships: foundation, modern, and graduate. ‘Foundation apprenticeships’ are made for younger, entry-level apprentices, with training costs fully funded by the Scottish Government.
‘Modern apprenticeships’ can be completed by existing and new employees of all ages. Funding is limited to certain age groups that have been identified as a priority by the Scottish Government.
‘Graduate apprenticeships’ see learners working towards a degree (funded by the Government) whilst working.
Lifetime Training hold a contract with Skills Development Scotland to allow the fully funded delivery across various sectors. Contact us to find out more.
Lifetime Training has years of experience running award-winning apprenticeship programmes, and will provide expert advice and guidance on funding, programme launch and overall strategy.
We work with employers of all sizes across our sectors to align their programmes to core learning and development targets.
The Portal
The Portal is a tool for apprenticeship learners and managers to track learner progression and upload evidence.
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FUSE
FUSE is an online learning community where apprenticeship learners can access resources, and interact with tutors and other learners.
MyLifetime
MyLifeTime is an online learning community where course learners can access resources, and interact with tutors and other learners.
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Apprenticeship Job Boards
The Apprenticeship Job Board - click here to apply for apprenticeship jobs and view your applications.
