Key information for healthcare employers
How does apprenticeship training benefit your organisation?
Government funded apprenticeships are a cost-effective way for your organisation to grow talent and develop a motivated, skilled and qualified workforce, allowing you to:
- address and close any skills gaps quickly through on-the-job training
- boost the skills of your workforce to increase productivity and improve organisation performance
- build robust talent pipelines in line with your organisation’s workforce strategy
- widen participation in learning and development, in turn encouraging improved employee satisfaction, reducing staff turnover, and cutting recruitment costs for new recruits.
Benefits for your organisation
Apprenticeships can support your organisation to grow talent and develop a skilled workforce.
Offering an apprenticeship can:
- introduce fresh talent and ideas to your business by recruiting new staff and upskilling existing members
- align training to your business needs
- boost staff loyalty and motivation.
Studies show that because of apprenticeships:
- 80 per cent of employers report higher staff retention
- 92 per cent of employers see a boost in workforce motivation and satisfaction.
Apprentices in Kent and Medway, who successfully completed their programme, can register to graduate at the Kent and Medway Apprenticeship Graduation Ceremony held in October each year.
Your responsibilities to an apprentice
Your responsibilities to an apprentice
Apprenticeship employers must provide:
- an employment contract for the duration of the apprenticeship
- on-the-job training
- mentoring and supervision
- an induction that covers business policies, procedures, and a safe working environment
- a signed apprenticeship agreement and commitment statement from the apprentice and the training provider, such as a local college.
Apprenticeship wage
What apprentices earn will vary depending on the type organisation, location, level of apprenticeship and type of apprenticeship programme delivered.
If aged between 16 and 18 or in the first year of the apprenticeship, the apprentice is entitled to the apprentice rate.
If the apprentice is 19 or over and has completed the first year of the apprenticeship, they will be entitled to the National Minimum Wage.
Existing employees who become apprentices tend to remain on their current wage.
This is the minimum an apprentice can earn, many employers offer their apprentices a competitive salary.
There are no student loan or tuition fees for an apprenticeship because it is funded by the government and the employer.
The apprentice will need to cover the cost of their day-to-day expenses, such as lunch and travel, however many employers offer a competitive salary to support this.
If the apprentice is 16 to 24 and a care leaver, they will receive a £1,000 bursary payment to support them in their first year of the apprenticeship.
Getting started
If you are an employer in the care sector and want to learn more about supporting apprenticeships, follow this guidance from Skills for Care which explains what apprentices are available in your sector.
If you are ready to hire an apprentice, support can be found on the KCC Hire an apprentice page.
If you are a health or care employing organisation looking to employ an apprentice, information about how to do this can be found via the links below.
What apprenticeships are and how to use them | NHS Employers
Employing an apprentice: Overview - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
Hire an apprentice - Kent County Council
If you are an NHS employee, you are an you should contact your apprenticeship lead to find out more about opportunities available in your organisation. If you work in primary care, you can contact your practice management or your local training hub.
- DGT – dgn-tr-dgtapprenticeships@nhs.net
- EKHUFT – ekh-tr.apprenticeships@nhs.net
- KCHFT – apprenticeships@nhs.net
- KMPT – apprenticeships@nhs.net
- MCH – apprenticeships@nhs.net
- MFT – apprenticeships@nhs.net
- MTW – mtw-tr.apprenticeships@nhs.net
- Primary care – kmpcth@nhs.net
The apprenticeship levy
Apprenticeship levy is an amount paid at a rate of 0.5 per cent of an employer’s annual pay bill.
As an employer, you have to pay apprenticeship levy each month if you:
- have an annual pay bill of more than £3million
- are connected to any companies or charities for Employment Allowance purposes and have a combined annual pay bill of more than £3million.
The rules for connected companies are the same for apprenticeship levy and Employment Allowance.
You must report and pay apprenticeship levy monthly through your Employee Payment Summary.
All sectors must pay the levy if they have an annual pay bill of over £3million (including any connected companies or charities).
The sectors that have specific rules for paying apprenticeship levy are:
- franchises
- off-payroll working
- short-lived companies
- managed service companies
- employment or recruitment agencies
- joint ventures
- schools.
You can find out more about levy payments here Pay Apprenticeship Levy - GOV.UK
Transferring apprenticeship levy to other businesses
Large employers that pay the apprenticeship levy can choose to transfer up to 50% of their levy funds each year to other businesses, to pay for their apprenticeship training and assessment.
Transferring levy funds is a way of supporting other businesses by deciding which sectors, skills or local areas you’d like to fund.
For example, you could fund digital, finance or social care apprenticeships in your local area.
Which businesses and apprenticeships you support with a transfer is your choice.
Transfers can only be used for a new apprentice start. This doesn’t mean the apprentice has to be a new employee. It means you cannot receive transfer funding for an employee who has already started their apprenticeship – there may be some exceptions.
How can I transfer levy funds?
NHS Employers in Kent and Medway can apply for small amounts of levy budget to help support and develop their staff to complete apprenticeship training programs. Employers are encouraged to express interest by completing this electronic form.
If your organisation pays the apprenticeship levy you can transfer your levy funds using your apprenticeship service account.
There are two ways of making a transfer:
- pledge and transfer your levy funds so other businesses can apply to you for funding
- make a transfer to a business you know by inviting them to make a connection.
More information on apprenticeships levy transfer is on Transferring your apprenticeship levy to another business
Healthcare employers and managers can find more information from the Skills for Health FAQ section
Visit the academy apprenticeship page for case studies and stories from Kent and Medway's incredible apprentices and to see the promotions from #NationalApprenticeshipWeek2023 and #NationalApprenticeshipWeek2024. You can also learn about the Apprentice Graduation Ceremony, an annual event held in Kent and Medway to celebrate our apprentice graduates.
Frequently asked questions
Speak to your line manager and your organisational apprenticeship lead about development opportunities using apprenticeships. If your employing organisation does not offer the apprenticeship you need, there may be another Kent and Medway employer who does.
With more than 350 different NHS careers, there are hundreds of different jobs which can be done through an apprenticeship. Here are just a few:
- senior therapy support worker (level 3)
- associate ambulance practitioner (level 4)
- business administrator (level 3)
- dental nursing (level 3)
- informatics (levels 2 to 7)
- HR consultant (level 5)
- healthcare science assistant, associate and practitioner (levels 2, 4 and 6 respectively)
- maternity support worker (levels 2 and 3)
- nursing associate apprenticeship (level 5)
- registered nursing degree apprenticeship (level 6)
- operating department practice degree apprenticeship (level 6)
- pharmacy services assistant (level 2)
- podiatry degree apprenticeship (level 6)
See NHS apprenticeships - something for everyone for examples of the types of available apprenticeships in the NHS. And look out for the 'A' icon when exploring the various roles on this website to see which ones can be entered through an apprenticeship.
An apprenticeship will be a minimum of 12-months depending on the apprenticeship programme you’re offering. Speak to your organisations apprenticeship team.
Apprentices are a great way to grow your team while keeping costs down, with most of their training completed on the job and funding available to cover much of it. They also bring benefits in increasing your workforce diversity and helping companies compete in the modern marketplace.
Yes. An apprenticeship is on-the-job training. Employers are recruiting future employees therefore, the interview is a process for the employer to know the candidate and equally for the candidate to know the employer.
Apprentices are often offered permanent employment during their placement or at graduation. If you want to keep the apprentice on but there is no job for them, you may need to think about creating a new role for them. Speak to your apprenticeships and workforce teams.