New grant for young apprentices
The National Apprenticeship Service (NAS) has recently announced up to 5,000 Apprenticeship Grants for Employers of 16 and 17 year olds (AGE 16 and 17) with a value of £2,500 to encourage employers to take on unemployed 16-17 year olds as apprentices.
Last year, despite tough labour market conditions, over 70,000 16 and 17 year olds started an Apprenticeship. Despite this there are still many more young people who want to learn whilst they are in work and we are determined to make sure that the opportunities are there for them to do so.
NAS is introducing a new Apprenticeship Grant: AGE 16 and 17, of £2,500 to enable employers to offer 5,000 new Apprenticeship places and take on an unemployed 16 or 17 year old apprentice immediately. The £2,500 grant is in addition to the costs of training which is met by the National Apprenticeship Service.
Employers being targeted are those who would not otherwise have been in a position to recruit an apprentice at this point in time or who are able to offer more Apprenticeship places than they would otherwise have done.
The scheme will particularly support small and medium sized employers who are interested in employing an apprentice for this first time, or who want to employ an additional apprentice over their traditional level of recruitment.
The scheme can support larger employers where they can demonstrate that they are overtraining to support smaller employers in their supply chain/ the wider sector or recruiting in excess of their traditional levels of apprentice recruitment.
The grant will be available immediately. The initiative is a short-term (available until the end of March 2010) measure and is available now for employers who are able to offer a job opportunity to an unemployed young person aged 16 or 17.
The payments will be administered by the National Apprenticeship Service through its approved training provider network who will manage the payments and paperwork. Employers will receive the grant in two payments - £1,500 when the young person starts their Apprenticeship and a further £1,000 after 12 weeks.
The National Apprenticeship Service will help employers to find a suitable training provider to deliver the training programme and to recruit an apprentice. Employers will be asked to sign an agreement which commits them to employing a new or additional apprentice in paid employment for the duration of the Apprenticeship training programme.
Employers will pay the apprentice at least the minimum Apprenticeship wage of £95 per week, including off the job training. If the apprentice leaves early, the employer will be asked to repay a proportion of the grant.
To apply call the National Apprenticeship Service on 08000 150 600 or visit http://www.apprenticeships.org.uk and someone from the National Apprenticeship Service will contact you to discuss the support available in more detail.
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