Why you’re never too old to be an apprentice

APPRENTICESHIPS are typically viewed as a way into work for young people — but there is no upper age limit to applications and they can provide vital retraining for mid-life career changers.

Now could be the perfect time to take advantage thanks to a Government scheme to encourage businesses to take on 100,000 new apprentices in the next six months.

Last month, Chancellor Rishi Sunak said that, from August to January, any firm that hires a new apprentice aged 16 to 24 will receive £2,000, while those that hire new apprentices aged 25 and over will be paid £1,500.

All apprentices are paid a minimum of £4.15 per hour in their first year. Those aged 19 or over will be paid the national minimum wage after that.

Apprentices should receive 20 pc of their training ‘off the job’, which also discourages firms from recruiting them as a cheaper option to full-time staff.

The Government says 91 pc of apprentices stay in work or go on to further training.

But Ofsted inspection results for the nine months up to June 2020 show 42 pc of apprenticeship providers in England were rated as either inadequate or requiring improvement.

The Government says two-thirds of apprentices go to providers rated as good or outstanding and says the disparity is due to the fact that there are a large number of new providers, which don’t necessarily have a large intake.

It adds that it has introduced a register for apprenticeship providers to regulate quality.

Despite the incentives, many employers are making apprentices redundant due to the pandemic, according to Darryn Lewis, of Find Apprenticeships.

But he adds: ‘ Many training providers have adapted to offer remote training to be able to support the majority of learners and keep their courses running.’

The Advanced Learner Loan scheme can cover childcare or travel costs. The National Apprenticeship Services hosts networking events, while the website apprenticeshipguide.co.

uk provides case studies and insight into both current and upcoming schemes.

A full list of Ofsted-approved apprenticeships can be found at download.apprenticeships.education.