There is no better time for a business to take on their first apprentice. From 1 April 2019 the training costs of an apprenticeship to a business has dropped by 50%. This means the government will pay 95% of the cost of the apprenticeship, leaving just 5% payable by the employer!
What’s more…
Grants of up to £2,500 are available for small businesses (249 or fewer employees) to recruit an apprentice.
If you’re based in Bradford, Calderdale, Kirklees, Leeds, Wakefield or York you can apply for the apprenticeship grant for employers (AGE) from Leeds City Region Enterprise Partnership (LEP).
Am I eligible to apply?
- A core grant of £2,000 is on offer, allocated on a first-come, first served basis and you’ll need to meet the full grant eligibility criteria
- Businesses with 249or fewer employees within local authority areas of Bradford, Calderdale, Kirklees, Leeds, Wakefield and York
- Have never offered apprenticeships before
- Are offering new employment as an apprenticeship opportunity to 19-24 year olds with associated apprenticeship training via a training provider approved by the Education Skills Funding Agency (ESFA)
- The Apprentices must be following a recognised Apprenticeship Standard or Framework
- Are paying the national minimum wage for the age of the apprentice from day 1 of their apprenticeship training (above the apprenticeship wage of £3.90). This equates to £6.15 per hour for 18-20 year olds, £7.70 per hour for 21 – 24 year olds.
An additional top up grant of £500 is on offer if:
- The Apprenticeship is at level 4 or above as defined by the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA).
Find out more on the Leeds City Region Enterprise Partnership (LEP) website