Traineeships are a scheme funded by the Department for Education (DfE) and the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills. Traineeships aim to help young people find work by offering 16-24 year olds in England work experience and training. Employers such as HSBC, BT, General Motors and Virgin Media are amongst the bigger companies which offer work placements but it is open to any business of any size.
Looking to take on an apprentice or a new member of staff but not sure where to start? As an employer, you could provide traineeships to 16-24 year olds. The idea behind the scheme is to provide a bridge that prepares young people for Apprenticeships or suitable employment with a focus on progression rather than an end destination.
If a young person taking part in the scheme were to show potential in becoming a productive team member, you would be encouraged to support them in applying for an apprenticeship or other suitable vacancy.
Trainees will do two days a week work experience each week and 1 day of training consisting of small groups focussing on Employability Skills, CV writing, Interview Skills and maths and English where appropriate. The duration of the work placement for a traineeship will be a between 6 weeks and 5 months.
The employer is not required to pay the trainee for the work placement as traineeships fall under an exemption to the minimum wage. You would however be encouraged, but not required, to consider providing trainees with support for their travel and meal costs.
Runway Training work closely with our employers and trainees to ensure the trainee and work placement are matched effectively to create a mutually beneficial opportunity. We will work collaboratively in planning and delivering a bespoke learning and training programme.
The Apprenticeship Levy has been introduced to help support the large scale investment into apprenticeships in England. As a high quality provider of apprenticeships, Runway Training works with levy payers across Kent and the wider South East to ensure they maximise their funds.
The Levy provides a fantastic opportunity for employers to invest in staff training and develop the skills needed to drive business performance. A lack of understanding often prevents businesses from embracing apprenticeship training, however levy funding can be used to train employees in everything from customer service through to management, financial skills and digital marketing.
If you are in scope of the Apprenticeship Levy, or just want to find out some more information about how it works and what apprenticeships are available. Please call 01732 402 402 and speak to our apprenticeship team today.
