Apprenticeships

Anyone undertaking an apprenticeship must be in employment and the apprenticeship must be relevant to their role. Apprenticeships can be used to train existing employees or newly hired employees.

Typical eligibility criteria may vary from apprenticeship to apprenticeship and include*:

• Evidence of Maths and English qualifications at GSCE grade level 9 to 4 ( grade A to C), Functional Skills Level 2 or equivalent qualifications - find out how to gain Functional Skills or the process if you have international qualifications via the button below

• Aged 16+ at the time of enrolment (for health care based apprenticeships there's often a requirement of 18+ as minimum age)

• Not already be in full-time education at the point of enrolment

• Be one of the following:

• a citizen of a country within the European Economic Area (EEA) (including other countries determined within the EEA or those with bilateral agreements), or have the right of abode in the UK, and have been ordinarily resident in the EEA (including other countries determined within the EEA or those with bilateral agreements), for at least the previous three years on the first day of learning;

• OR a non-EEA citizen with permission from the UK government to live in the UK, (not for educational purposes) and have been ordinarily resident in the UK for at least the previous three years before the start of learning.

* Please check eligibility criteria for each individual apprenticeship programme you're considering.

Functional Skills

Please visit our functional skills page below for more information and to see how the NCL Training Hub can support.

Each apprenticeship standard is assigned to a funding band – there are 30 funding bands which range between £1,500 and £27,000. The funding band sets out the maximum funding available from the government for the cost of the training and assessment of the apprentice.

Apprenticeships are funded via the government levy.

Employers with an annual payroll over £3 million are required to pay into the levy fee pot – the levy funding can only be used towards the costs of training and assessment of apprentices.

Smaller organisations who do not pay the levy fee can receive a levy transfer – this is where a levy paying employer who is unlikely to use their full levy funding can ‘gift’ part of their levy to non-levy paying organisations. This process is called a levy transfer and ensures apprenticeship costs for non-levy payers are 100% covered.

Most primary and some social care employers will not pay the levy but can receive a levy transfer from secondary care trusts or other levy paying employers.

The NCL Training Hub can support with brokering a levy transfer for primary and adult social care organisations in NCL who are non levy payers - please click the page below to see the process and to request support from the NCL Training Hub Apprenticeship Team.

The NCL Health and Social Care Academy has been set up to help residents in North Central London, particularly those with barriers into employment, who are interested in working in health and social care to move into the sector. The Academy have built a talent pool of residents located in Barnet, Enfield, Camden, Haringey and Islington who are ready to fill roles. The Academy team includes Employer Engagement Officer who can work closely with Health & Social Care Employers in NCL to offer recruitment support including advertising roles and screening candidates. To access the recruitment support please register here.

If you wish to advertise your apprenticeship vacancies, attracting a wide pool of external candidates, you may wish to use the Hire an Apprentice GOV UK website.