AGE Grant

www.recruitment-apprenticeship.co.uk

In partnership with

And

NASwPw9%%%%V apprenticeships,org,uk Call’ %B%%% 9x% V%%Page 1

Apprenticeship Grant for Employers of 9V to WD year olds–AGE 9V to WDbEmployer Fact Sheet – February W%9? –version 99b

The Apprenticeship Grant forEmployers of 9V to WD year olds –AGE9V to WDb aims to support businessesto grow by providing incentives toassist in offering young peopleemployment through theApprenticeship programme,

The grant targets employers who arenew to Apprenticeships and recruitingtheir first apprenticeT and alsosupports employers who have notbeen in a position within the previoustwelve months to commit toemploying an apprentice again,

The National Apprenticeship Servicewill provide Apprenticeship grants toemployers with up to 9%%% employeesrecruiting 9V to WD year olds with avalue of £9Tx%% to encourageemployers to take on newapprentices,

The £9Tx%% is in addition to thetraining costs of the Apprenticeshipframework which are met in full foryoung people aged 9V to 9B and x%(for those aged 9j to WD,

When is this Apprenticeshipgrant available?

The AGE 9V to WD is available foreligible employers recruiting anapprentice aged 9V to WD from 9February W%9W until ?9 DecemberW%9?

What financial support is availableto employers?

The Apprenticeship grant of £9Tx%% ispayable for eligible employers whocommit to employ one or more 9V toWD year old apprentices –to amaximum of 9% paymentsb,

The payment is a grant and is exemptfrom VAT,

Which employers are eligible toreceive this new AGE 9V to WDpayment?

Eligible employers are those with upto 9%%% employees who have neveremployed an apprentice or have notdone so in the last 9W months,

Very Large employers –more than9%%% employeesb are not eligible forsupport through this initiative, But wedo want to encourage take up ofeligible businesses within their supplychain,

Subject to budget availability and theemployer’s commitment to supportthe apprentices to the end of theirprogrammeT up to 9% grants can bemade to any one employer, HoweverTthe employer must commit to the totalnumber of apprentices they wish totake on through the grant at theupfront agreement stage,

What is an employer’scommitment?

Employers will sign an agreementwhich will include’

Confirmation of the number ofapprentices they will be taking onas a result of this incentive –to amaximum of 9% paymentsbConfirmation that they wouldn’thave taken the apprentice onwithout this additional incentive,Confirmation that they have nottaken on an apprentice in theprevious 9W months3A commitment to employ theapprentice for a minimum of 9Wmonths or the time it takes to

complete the ApprenticeshipframeworkT whichever is the greater,

Confirmation that they are awareof and do not breach any stateaid rules,Agreement to pay the minimumApprenticeship wage of £W,Vx perhour – although this is a minimumand most employers pay more,

39W months is calculated from the ILRstart date of this new apprentice, Theemployer is not eligible if they havestarted an apprentice within that 9Wmonth period

To check if you are eligible and toapply for AGE 9V to WD you can’

Contact your local TrainingProvider directVisit apprenticeships,org,uk tofind out more about recruiting anapprenticeCall the National ApprenticeshipService on %B%%% 9x% V%% whenyou are ready to recruit anapprentice, An adviser from theNational Apprenticeship Servicewill contact you to discuss thesupport available in more detail,

NASjPjEGGGG+ apprenticeships4org4uk CallF GMGGG E9G +GGPage 2

Q , AE4 What about employers who havealready taken on apprenticesx orwould have taken one on anywayq

Our aim is to support employers tooffer new Apprenticeships in supportof young people4 Therefore we will betargeting those employers who wouldnot otherwise have been in a positionto recruit an apprentice at this point intime4

(4 Can existing employees startingan Apprenticeship within theirexisting employer attract theincentiveq

No j our aim is to support employersto grow their business and createnew jobs for E+ to (3 year olds4

However partjtime employees thatmove in to a new fulljtimeApprenticeship job role could fallwithin the remit of the grant4 i4e4where the AGE E+ to (3 payment hasincentivised an eligible employer totransfer a current E+ to (3 partjtimeemployee Ocontracted to work lessthan (G hours per weekf to a new fulljtime Apprenticeship job roleOminimum )G hours per weekf4

)4 Can very large OEGGGj3x£££f andmacro O9GGG2f employers besupportedq

No – very large and macro employersare not eligible4 We would alsoencourage very large or macroemployers to support eligibleemployers in their supply chain toaccess AGE E+ to (34

34 Must all of the vacanciescreated by AGE E+ to (3 beadvertised on Apprenticeshipvacanciesq

Apprenticeship vacancies is adedicated free on line recruitmentservice to help employers recruit their

Apprentice j matching candidatesinterested in an Apprenticeship withemployers offering them4 Whereverpossiblex employers taking part inAGE E+ to (3x should advertise onApprenticeship vacancies4 Thesupporting training provider canassist you with this service4 Howeverif you recruit outside of theApprenticeship vacancies system thisdoes not preclude you from claimingAGE4

94 Which young people areeligibleq

All E+ to (3 year olds who are lookingto start a career through anApprenticeshipx whether they are justleaving schoolx have been working orare seeking to start a new career4They just need to be living in Englandand not taking part in fulljtimeeducation4

+4 How will employers receive theAGE E+ to (3q

Quality assured training providers willbe responsible for processingpayments to employers4 Employersbecome eligible to receive onepayment of £E9GG when the youngperson completes week E) of theirApprenticeship programme4Please note it may take up to £weeks for that payment to beprocessed and paid to yourtraining provider following the E)week period4

NAS expects the employer to receivethe payment within )G days of thetraining provider receiving the fundsfrom the Skills Funding Agency4Providers are responsible foradministering the payments in thistimely manner4

–4 What if the young person leaves– will the employer have toreimburse NAS allHany of the£Ex9GGq

As an employer you will sign anagreement which commits you toemploying the young person untilthey complete their Apprenticeshipprogrammex or for a minimum of E(months whichever is greater4You will become eligible to receivethe £E9GG payment once theapprentice has completed week E) oftheir Apprenticeship programme4

If the apprentice leaves or isdismissed between weeks E and E)you Othe employer) will not receive thegrant4

If the apprentice leaves or isdismissed after completion of the E)weeks and following receipt of thegrant there will be no requirement torejpay the grant4 However as definedin the signed employer agreementxemployers are expected to provideongoing employment to theApprenticex subject to satisfactoryperformance as an employee4

www.recruitment-apprenticeship.co.uk

www.expedient-training.org.uk

Head Office

Expedient Training Consultancy

2nd Floor

Telephone House

Fenton Street

Lancaster

LA1 1RJ

Telephone:

0333 3442 660

Fax:

0333 3442 661