Employers must give their apprentice an induction into their role and provide on-the-job training. Employers are responsible for paying their apprentice’s wages and issuing their contract of employment.
By employing an apprentice, employers have certain requirements to meet:
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An Apprenticeship Agreement between the employer and the apprentice must be in place.
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You must give your apprentice a contract of employment which is at least long enough to allow them to complete their apprenticeship successfully.
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The minimum hours of employment for an apprentice should be at least 30 hours per week. By exception, where the individual’s circumstances or the particular nature of employment in a given sector makes this impossible, then an absolute minimum of 16 hours must be met. In such cases the duration of the apprenticeship should be extended.
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All apprentices must receive the same benefits as other employees.
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The apprentice must receive the Apprenticeship Minimum Wage. Apprentices aged 16-18 (or 19+ in the first year of their apprenticeship) must be paid a minimum of £3.70 per hour. All other apprentices are entitled to the National Minimum Wage for their age i.e. £5.90 per hour for apprentices aged 18-20, £7.38 per hour for those aged 21-24,and £7.83 for those 25 and over. Many businesses pay more to attract the best candidates.