Employer FAQs

Northern Skills provide expert tuition and dedicated support to help find the right Apprentice and training programme for your business. We offer fantastic facilities and have found 88% of employers were satisfied with the relevance of training.

The time it takes your employee to complete their apprenticeship does vary depending on the course chosen. Typically, apprenticeships are a minimum of 12 months.

As of April 2024, the National Minimum Wage for apprentices under 19 (or 19+ and in their first year of their apprenticeship) is £6.40 per hour. This will increase to £7.55 from April 2025.

Apprentices are entitled to the minimum wage for their age if they are aged 19 or over, and have completed the first year of their apprenticeship.

More information about the National Minimum Wage for Apprentices can be found here.

Funding may be available to support the cost of your apprentice’s training and their salary. The Northern Skills Apprenticeship team are on hand to discuss funding options and support you with eligibility criteria and how you can apply. We also offer free advice and guidance on The Apprenticeship Levy.

In terms of eligibility, individuals are able to undertake an apprenticeship at a higher level than a qualification they currently hold, including any previously completed apprenticeships. They can also undertake an apprenticeship at the same level, or lower level than a qualification they already hold as long as the new apprenticeship allows for new skills to be acquired and the content of the training is materially different from any previous qualification or apprenticeship.

Find out more about the employer funding that is available.

20% off-the-job training is when an apprentice undertakes learning outside of the workplace which leads towards the achievement of their apprenticeship. As an employer, you will support the off the job learning hours by allowing the apprentice time in their contracted working hours to complete guided learning, directed online learning and completion of assignments. All employers must permit 20% of each apprentice’s employed hours to be used for off-the-job training.