An apprenticeship is a job with training. It allows the apprentice to earn a wage while learning specific skills and gaining recognised qualifications.

It requires the equivalent of one day per week in some form of training. Apprenticeships can be taken up at any age and not just by 16-25 year-olds. It is also possible for existing staff to take up an apprenticeship.

We know businesses have been hit hard by the pandemic. Investing in skills now can help grow your business and ensure it is future-ready. There has never been a better time to hire an apprentice in Hertfordshire. That is why have launched 'Hertfordshire Supports Apprenticeships' to help:

• Deliver a resident workforce fit for the future.
• Raise the skills and productivity levels of those already in work.
• Showcase the resilience of apprentices and employers during COVID-19.

Did you know?

• Training can be tailored to meet your business needs, enabling you to expand and upskill your workforce.
• There are now apprenticeships available in Hertfordshire for just about every job role and at every level. Whatever your size and sector, we’ve probably got an apprenticeship that will be right for your business.
• You can employ apprentices at different levels, from school leavers and university graduates, to people who want to further their careers or change career direction completely.
• You can hire someone new or upskill an existing employee.

Watch this short animation and find out why #HertfordshireSupportsApprenticeships:

Apprenticeships are a key priority for the LEP and play a vital role in growing our local economy, as evidenced in our Strategic Economic Plan.

We aim to increase the total percentage of young people aged 16-24 in employment with training, including apprenticeships and traineeships, up to the national average. We also aim to achieve a balance between apprenticeship and traineeship vacancies and the demand for places.

We will work towards these aims by increasing apprenticeship opportunities, supporting potential apprentices and ensuring quality provision. Find out more about what we are doing to support apprenticeships in Hertfordshire:

Read the Apprenticeship Growth Strategy for Hertfordshire.

The apprenticeship levy came into force in April 2017 as part of the Government’s plan to increase the quantity and quality of apprenticeships.

It requires all employers with a pay bill of over £3m to invest in apprenticeships. From May 2018, employers that pay the apprenticeship levy will have the option to fund an apprentice in another organisation, giving them more flexibility over how they spend their apprenticeship service funds. Learn more:

Transferring apprenticeship service funds