Early Years Employers
Need more information about hiring an apprentice? We’ve got all the details for you here.
Employers
At Showcase Training, we pride ourselves on delivering quality apprenticeships and courses that engage, challenge, and excite learners by creating opportunities for individuals regardless of barriers or background. Our reputation is built on performance and the amazing outcomes for our learners, and all who work with us remain as passionate about this today as we were when we started.
A Chat with an Early Years Apprenticeship Employer
Our Apprenticeships
Course Overview: Work and interact directly with children on a day to day basis supporting the planning of and delivery of activities
Course Duration: 12 months + EPA
Course Cost: £5000 (up to 100% government-funded)
Course Overview: Highly trained professionals who play a key role in ensuring that children learn and develop and are kept healthy and safe
Course Duration: 18 months + EPA
Course Cost: £7000 (up to 100% government-funded)
Course Overview: Working directly with young children, skilfully leading and managing day to day practice in the setting.
Course Duration: 24 months + EPA
Course Cost: £9000 (up to 100% government-funded)
How We Can Support Your Business
Free recruitment service covering advertising, sourcing, screening and shortlisting
Employment law advice, impartial early years consultancy and industry news
A team of knowledgeable, experienced and dedicated tutors offering 1-1 support
Access to a wealth of free resources, such as blog and magazine
Wellbeing and pastoral support for staff, and impartial careers advice and planning
Online learning platforms and portfolio system with access to classroom facilities
Benefits of Hiring an Apprentice
Develop a Skilled Workforce Tailored to Your Needs: Apprenticeships provide a structured training programme that allows you to mould a workforce with the specific skillsets you require. You have a direct influence on shaping their knowledge and experience.
Cost-Effective: Hiring an apprentice is a cost-effective way to support the development of new skills in your business. Depending on your business size and eligibility, most apprenticeship training costs are either fully or partially (95%) funded by the government. Additionally, Employers could be eligible for £1,000 each if they hire an eligible apprentice.
Increased Staff Retention: Apprentices often develop a strong sense of loyalty to the organisation that invested in their training, leading to higher retention rates. Offering apprenticeships can create clear career progression pathways within your organisation, helping to retain talent.
Qualified Workforce: As apprentices work towards gaining an industry-recognised qualification, they contribute to ensuring that your staff meets the necessary regulatory requirements for early years education and care.
Our Enrolment Process
Contact us to discuss your needs for your organisation.
We can advertise and manage the recruitment process on your behalf.
We arrange the interview and conduct initial assessments to determine the candidate’s suitability.
We enrol the learner onto a suitable apprenticeship.
Apprentices bring energy, support leadership, and add value to early years settings
– Sarah, Early Years Tutor, Former Nursery Manager
Prior to working at Showcase Training, I was the Manager of an early years setting for many years. We supported many Apprentices along the way and bringing them into our team was a truly rewarding experience. Not only did it offer a chance to support the development of someone passionate about early childhood education, but it also brought fresh energy and new ideas into our daily practice.
It didn’t take long for apprentices to become valued members of the team. I was always impressed at their eagerness to learn, response to feedback, and commitment to making a difference in the lives of the children.
Feedback from the whole team demonstrated to me that having an apprentice created opportunities to develop leadership and mentoring skills. I always took pride in seeing more experienced staff share their knowledge and passion with apprentices and stepping up to support their growth. Employing apprentices also had benefits from a business perspective.
The financial support available through apprenticeship funding meant we could spend more of the budget focusing on staff development without significant costs to the company. Overall, I always found the experience to be both a practical and enriching decision for the setting, and I would highly recommend to any manager considering it.
Our Guides
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the training costs?
Companies with an annual payroll exceeding £3 million pay an apprenticeship levy. These funds can be used to cover the cost of apprenticeship training, up to a pre-defined funding band for each programme. In some cases, you may still need to contribute a small percentage.
For companies under the £3 million payroll threshold, the government typically covers 95% of the training costs, again up to a funding band. You may need to contribute the remaining 5%. However, if you hire a 16-21 year old apprentice, the government cover 100% of the training costs.
What is the employer incentive?
There is a £1,000 payment available to employers for apprentices who, at the start of their apprenticeship, are: between 16 and 18 years old or between 19 and 24 years old and have an Education, Health and Care plan
How do I find an apprentice?
The “Find an Apprenticeship” service is a UK government website that assists individuals in discovering apprenticeship opportunities and enables employers to list their apprenticeship vacancies. This platform serves as a central hub for apprenticeships, offering a range of vacancies across various sectors and locations. Showcase Training can advertise and manage the recruitment process on your behalf.
We can also advertise on social media and on our website.
What are my responsibilities when employing an apprentice?
All apprentices:
- Are entitled to the minimum apprenticeship wage
- Are expected to hold or achieve Maths and English qualifications (delivered by Showcase Training)
- Are entitled to the same benefits as other employees
- Are covered under policies and procedures
- Are entitled to statutory sick leave and annual leave
- Require off the job training each week
What is off-the-job training?
Off-the-Job (OTJ) training is a statutory requirement within an Apprenticeship programme whereby time is set aside on a weekly basis for the Apprentice to learn and develop new knowledge, skills, and behaviours directly linked to their vocational programme. This must be within an apprentice’s normal paid working hours, and should account for 6 hours per week. OTJ training is a funding requirement of the apprenticeship, and activities to fulfil the OTJ requirement are planned for from the beginning of programme, for example time to complete coursework set by the programme tutor.
What is the role of a tutor?
An apprenticeship is a partnership between the learner, the tutor and the employer. All apprentices will be assigned a tutor from Showcase Training whose role is to guide them through the course. Showcase Training have a highly-experienced team of tutors with a strong background in Early Years. A tutor’s role is to conduct 1-1 visits every 4-6 weeks, set coursework to complete, observe practice, and to conduct assessments. Tutors are also a point of contact for any concerns or worries throughout the course.
Testimonials
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