Apprenticeships - recruiting an apprentice

Apprenticeships

The Council offers apprenticeships to candidates wanting to gain valuable experience and increase their qualifications and skills by working in our schools. Apprenticeships are now open to all ages. We will support you with your requirements for apprentices. Please contact the Apprenticeship team at apprenticeships@derby.gov.uk 01332 642633.

• If you wish to pay for the apprenticeship training using the Levy, please talk to the Apprenticeship Team in HR before engaging with any training provider. 
• Decide on the role of the apprentice and what skills will be required to carry this out.
• Confirm budget is available from your senior leadership team to cover the salary for the apprenticeship period.
• Confirm the length of training with the Apprenticeship Team (this will determine the length of contract offered to an apprentice). If the apprentice post is part time and/or in term time only, the contract must be long enough to allow the apprentice time to complete their training. This must be a minimum of 1 year and 1 day and is dependent on the agreed length of time for the training provider to deliver the training and assessment of the successful candidate’s learning needs.

Job description, person specification and advert

The job description

• Make sure there is an up-to-date job description and person specification in the correct corporate format, if not, write one. The Apprenticeship team can provide advice.
• Include a job title, the main duties and purpose of the role, information about the school and the job location.
• As it is young people who often apply for apprenticeships, describe the job using language that a new apprentice will understand.

The person specification

• Prepare person specification selection criteria. Include the qualifications, previous experience and specific skills you’re looking for.
• We prefer a minimum of Grade 4 or GCSE A – C maths and English or equivalent for most apprenticeships. If a candidate does not have the required maths and English grades they must complete a functional skill as part of the apprenticeship.
• Managers need to be mindful that candidates may not have had a job before and may need to take into account their other experiences such as volunteering, Duke of Edinburgh, hobbies and interests. Candidates wouldn’t usually use a person specification to write a supporting statement as they may not have the skills to do this.

Applications may be fairly short on content, so you may need to be flexible with your requirements.

The advert

• Prepare an advert which explains to candidates what kind of work they will be doing in simple terms. Candidates should be able to easily relate to the job.
• You can also see examples of live job adverts on our Council vacancy pages.
• The job description, person specification and advert should be sent to the Apprenticeship Team to be checked and will then be advertised by our Recruitment Team.
• Adverts will be placed on the Derby City Council job site and Find an apprenticeship.

Apprenticeship training

The training provider will contact the recruiting manager to understand the training needs and tailor the apprentice learning plan to suit the qualification. The training provider will advise on a suitable training standard.

The Apprenticeship Team will determine which training provider is used based on: 

1. The provider’s Ofsted ratings for quality, and successful completions.
2. Cost to deliver the training (the apprenticeship levy pays for this cost so there is no expectation of the team to pay for this).
3. The provider being on the approved provider list and suitable for the framework or standard needed.

Standards and End Point Assessments

The standards govern what training should be contained within an apprenticeship to ensure that the apprentice is fully competent in all relevant areas on completion of their apprenticeship. Some standards contain qualifications and others do not but all focus on skills, knowledge and behaviours. All standards will have an end point assessment at the end and are marked distinction, pass or fail.

Employers are helping to develop new apprenticeships from level 2 to level 7 in many occupations. The ‌Schools Apprentice Standards list shows the range of apprenticeships available now

Off-the-job training

A minimum of 20% of an apprentice’s time is to be spent on off the job training. Off the job training is ‘learning which is undertaken outside of the normal day-to-day working environment and leads towards the achievement of an apprenticeship’ 

This can include training that is delivered at the apprentice’s normal place of work but must not be delivered as part of their normal working duties. The off-the-job training must be directly relevant to the apprenticeship standard and could include the following:

• The teaching of theory (for example, lectures, role playing, simulation exercises, online learning or manufacturer training).
• Practical training (for example, shadowing, mentoring.
• Learning support and time spent writing assessments/assignments.

Off-the-job training doesn't include:

• English and maths (up to level 2), which is funded separately.
• Progress reviews or on-programme assessment needed for an apprenticeship standard.
• Training which takes place outside the apprentice’s paid working hours 

Off-the-job training: Myths vs Facts

How can I find out more? 

Please contact the Apprenticeship Team by email at apprenticeships@derby.gov.uk or telephone 640752. 

More information is also available in the Apprenticeship Levy guide for schools leadership teams.