Frequently Asked Questions

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Having an Apprentice in your business will:

• Improve productivity
• Reduce training costs
• Reduce recruitment costs
• Fill skills gaps, including specialist skills specific to your industry
• Motivate staff and reduce staff turnover

To calculate the financial benefits for your organisation, visit the National Apprenticeships website www.apprenticeships.org.uk

Derwentside College will help you to find the best match for your organisation, and it doesn’t stop here. We will continue to support you and your Apprentice throughout the Apprenticeship, including taking care of the paper work, arranging appropriate funding and providing advice and support. Some programmers require the Apprentice to attend Derwentside College for day or block release, whereas others can be assessed in the workplace. You will be assigned one of our dedicated Business Development Officers, who will be on hand to guide you through the process.

Yes. Both new and existing employees can become Apprentices. Apprenticeships are a fantastic option for people who would like to link their qualifications specifically to the workplace. There’s a range of Apprenticeship Standards to suit your organisation and the skills required.

As the employer of an Apprentice you will pay their salary, holiday, maternity and sick pay and issue a normal employee Contract of Employment plus an Apprenticeship Agreement. You will need to commit to employing the apprentice for a minimum of 12 months or the time it takes to complete the Apprenticeship.

You will need to support your Apprentice’s learning and development, release them for training at college if relevant, and attend regular workplace reviews with the Apprentice and our Assessor.

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We also welcome the opportunity to discuss your requirements if we don’t currently offer the standard you need.

A member of the Business Development Team will complete the enrolment process. An assessor will then arrange regular visits to assess work and offer support. Progress will be reviewed a minimum of every 12 weeks.

To request more information or to discuss your requirements in detail, please contact our Business Development team on 01207 585914 or email apprenticeships@derwentside.ac.uk