Apprenticeships
Recruiting the right apprentice and understanding what it will mean for you and your setting.
Apprentices, like any other employees, have a contract with you. An apprentice might be new to the sector, or you might choose to put an existing member of staff through an apprenticeship to increase their skills.
If your apprentice has relevant experience, they can be assessed for prior learning. This can be agreed with the training provider, so if you think this might apply to your apprentice always ask.
An apprenticeship is full-time, on-the-job learning and usually lasts 18 months. If the apprentice has prior learning, the programme can be shorter - sometimes as little as 8 months.
Apprentices must complete at least 187 hours of off-the-job training.
Training providers must clearly show any reductions in training content and cost. If the apprentice has no prior learning, they must receive the full number of off-the-job training hours listed for that apprenticeship standard.
You can find guidance on the minimum off-the-job requirement for each apprenticeship standard.
The apprentice benefits from earning while they complete their learning, making it an attractive option. They will be expected to complete some of their working hours in off-the-job training or learning, which happens outside of their normal day-to-day work. They then practice their new skills in the work environment.
Starting 1 August 2025, each apprenticeship standard will have a set minimum requirement for off-the-job training. You won’t need to calculate training hours based on working time anymore. These minimum hours only apply to apprentices who don’t have any relevant prior learning. If an apprentice does have prior learning, they may need fewer hours.
To recognise prior learning, training providers will assess what the apprentice already knows and can do. They’ll compare this against the requirements of the apprenticeship standard. This helps avoid repeating training and allows the provider to tailor the apprenticeship to suit the apprentice’s individual needs.
You benefit from developing talent that fits your business needs. You will be employing a member of staff at an affordable rate of pay. They will be learning up to date principles and practice in their off-the-job training and can bring new ideas to your setting.
The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) statutory framework allows you to count an apprentice who is over 16 in ratio at the level below that they are working towards. You can only take this step if you judge them to be ‘competent and responsible’ and ‘they hold a valid and current paediatric first aid qualification’ (EYFS statutory framework section 3.56).
Young people aged 16 to 18 must still pass Level 2 English and/or Maths if they haven’t already. For learners aged 19 and over, this is now optional. However, if the employer asks for it, the training will still be funded and provided.
It’s important to remember that in Early Years settings, staff counted in the Level 3 staff-to-child ratios must have a suitable Level 2 English qualification, along with a full and relevant Level 3 qualification.
Employer responsibilities
You will be responsible for the apprenticeship agreement between you and the apprentice. This outlines the terms of employment between you and your apprentice. It will include details such as the duration of employment, the qualification they are working towards and the agreed training provider. It will also include how you, as the employer, will meet your apprentice's off-the-job training and learning hours.
You will need to consider the published off-the-job hours prior to employing an apprentice. You will need to be able to maintain staff-to-child ratios while your apprentice is off the job. If you want an existing member of staff to upskill by undertaking an apprenticeship, their terms and conditions of employment must be honoured. This will include their salary, but you will still need to release them for the published off-the-job training.
You will also be responsible for their on-the-job learning - work-based skills and competencies. Without your support and the support of your team, the apprentice may struggle to put their off-the-job learning into practice.
You will also need to agree a training plan with your apprentice and your training provider. This outlines your commitments to each other, so it is important to detail the expectations of everyone involved.
How much the apprenticeship will cost you
You can get help from the government to pay for apprenticeship training. Funding goes towards the cost of training and assessment.
If your business has an annual pay bill of over £3 million you will pay the apprenticeship levy. This is reserved in a digital account which you can then use to pay your chosen training provider.
As most early years providers annual pay bill falls below this amount, you may need to set up an apprenticeship service account as a non-levy employer and reserve funding to pay for apprenticeship training.
Non-levy employers pay 5% towards the cost of training and the remaining 95% is paid by government. You can also consider applying for a West Sussex County Council apprenticeship levy transfer.
There is an additional payment of £1,000 available if you recruit an apprentice:
- aged between 16 to 18 years old
- under 25 with an education, health and care plan (EHCP)
- that has been cared for by the local authority
You can spend this on any costs related to their employment.
How to hire an apprentice or put an existing member of staff on an apprenticeship
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You can contact local training providers, or search for a provider using the find apprenticeship training web page. You can filter your results to make choosing a provider easier.
The training providers listed are reviewed by employers and apprentices. You should also check a training providers Ofsted outcome. This should be displayed on their website.
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Check the funding options available to you. If you do not pay the apprenticeship levy, you will pay 5% towards the cost of training and assessing your apprentice.
You need to:
- agree a payment schedule with the training provider
- pay them directly for the training
The government will then pay the remaining 95%, up to the funding band maximum (this is displayed in the details of your chosen apprenticeship using the links in step 1 above). They will pay it directly to the training provider. You can explore more funding options to ensure you do not miss any extra funding opportunities.
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To manage your funding and recruitment, create an apprenticeship service account.
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In West Sussex, we encourage our employers to always advertise staff vacancies on West Sussex County Council partnership jobs page. This is a free service and we advise job seekers looking for a role in early years and childcare to visit the website.
We also suggest you use the advertising option offered through your apprenticeship service account. You can also advertise for free on the Department of Work and Pension (DWP) find a job service.
Taking a broad approach to advertising is more likely to get you a good range of potential apprentices.
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Before you offer the apprenticeship, ensure your preferred candidate fully understands what they are committing to and what their contractual obligations will be. You need to be confident that they are willing and able to meet your business needs.
You might want to offer a potential apprentice, who has no experience in the early years and childcare sector, some work experience first so they can decide if the apprenticeship is right for them.
Visit our staff recruitment page for more information.
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The apprenticeship agreement will be signed by your apprentice and you. The training plan will be signed by the apprentice, the training provider and you.
We suggest you make use of networking opportunities to connect with other employers who have taken on apprentices. Peer support from other professionals in the sector enables you to share strengths apprentices bring to a setting and also the opportunity to share solutions to any challenges.