Incentives/Funding

Employer incentives include:

  • Age Grant Incentive: If you hire an apprentice between the age of 16 – 18, you will be eligible to receive an age grant incentive payment of £1000 (this is paid in 2 instalments of
    £500)
  • Apprenticeships Norfolk Building Futures Grant: South Norfolk businesses looking to hire a new apprentice may be eligible for a £2000 Building Futures grant, if the business or new
    apprentice is based in South Norfolk or Broadland.

Employer Funding:

  • If your business pays into the Apprenticeship Levy (not to be confused with the CITB levy), then your levy pot will fund the full training price. If your levy pot does not have enough
    funds to make the monthly payments, you will be invoiced the outstanding co-investment charge.
  • If your business does not pay into the apprenticeship levy and your apprentice is between the age of 16 – 21, you will not be required to pay anything towards the training costs.
  • If your business does not pay into the apprenticeship levy and your apprentice is over the age of 21, you will be required to pay a co-investment charge of 5% towards the training cost.
  • The government will also fully fund the training costs of the apprenticeship if the learner is aged 22 – 24 years old with an education, health and care plan (EHCP) or have been in the care of their local authority.

Employing an apprentice:

As an employer, you are responsible for:

  • Ensuring your apprentice is working alongside/mentored by trained and experienced staff
  • Ensuring your apprentice is learning job-specific skills relating to the chosen apprenticeship standard
  • Allowing the apprentice time out of work to complete any mandatory college attendance/training
  • Ensuring your apprentice has a legal contract of employment with yourselves (with a minimum duration of the full apprenticeship programme)
  • Paying your apprentice’s wages
  • Ensuring your apprentice receives a minimum of 20 days paid holiday per year
  • Signing the relevant paperwork provided by your chosen Training Provider (Apprenticeship Agreement, Training Plan & Apprenticeship Training Services Agreement)

Apprentice wages:

You must pay your apprentice at least the Apprenticeship National Minimum Wage which is currently £6.40 (increasing to £7.55 in April 2025). Apprentices are entitled to receive the Apprenticeship NMW rate if they are either under 19, or over the age of 19 and within their 1 st year of the apprenticeship. Apprentices who are over the age of 19 who have completed the first year of their apprenticeship, are then entitled to the correct minimum wage for their age. More information can be found here (National Minimum Wage)