Recruit a New Entrant Apprentice or Trainee

Guidance for managers who want to hire an apprentice or trainee

Apprenticeship Talent Pool: a new approach to recruiting apprentices

There is a new process in place for recruiting apprentices. Instead of multiple vacancies being advertised individually by departments, one central advert will run for all apprenticeship vacancies across the University.

The Apprenticeship Team will screen candidates and invite those who are eligible to submit an expression of interest for suitable roles.

We hope that this change will improve the candidate experience, hiring times and efficiencies for departments. If you are interested in hiring an apprentice, please discuss your requirements with the Apprenticeship Team who will guide you through the process. 

 

Apprenticeships support the development of a skilled workforce to aid our world leading teaching and research activity. All apprenticeship training is funded through the University’s Apprenticeship Levy.

Step by step guide

 

  1. Identify apprenticeship
    If you are considering recruiting a new entrant apprentice, visit our apprenticeship recruitment calendar to choose the correct course and plan your timeline.
  2. Sign up to an information session
    Please sign up to one of our monthly information sessions to learn more about the apprenticeship process.
  3. Develop a job description
    We have developed a range of apprenticeship-specific documents including template job descriptions and adverts. The job description will set out the duties and skills required for the role. Consider which apprenticeship course may be suitable for this role.
  4. Contact the Apprenticeships Team
    Once you have a draft job description, contact the Apprenticeships Team who will help to identify a suitable apprenticeship course and training provider. The team will put you in direct contact with the provider(s) to discuss the course and your role in more detail. As part of this discussion, you should consider how the provider can support your shortlisting and interview process.
  5. Decision time
    If you decide to go ahead with recruiting an apprentice, please inform your local HR Team who will obtain the correct local approvals and raise a Staff Request in the University's HR system.
  6. Review
    Once the Staff Request has been approved, in conjunction with your local HR Team please share the final job description with the Apprenticeship Team and the training provider for review. 
  7. Advertise
    The Apprenticeship Team will post one central advert for all apprenticeships across the University. 
  8. Screen
    On a weekly basis, the Apprenticeship Team will screen the applications received and invite eligible applicants to submit a 500-word expression of interest specific to your vacancy.
  9. Shortlist
    Applications and expressions of interest will be sent to you to shortlist.  
  10. Interview
    You may wish to ask the training provider to sit on the interview panel, or to assist with other selection methods. Please provide feedback to any unsuccessful candidates who were interviewed, referring to the selection criteria for the role.
  11. Offer
    Once you have completed the selection and identified your chosen candidate(s), please telephone them to make a verbal offer of employment. Please inform the Apprenticeships Team and the training provider of the outcome. You will need to confirm the dates for the apprenticeship with the training provider before issuing the contract.

    Contractual conditions: New entrant apprentices are appointed under the terms and conditions specified in the Apprenticeship Agreement contract (which has the Apprenticeship Learner Agreement embedded). This document is generated from the University's HR system and the Apprenticeships Team can help to complete this. Apprentices are also bound by the Handbook for Support Staff, with the exception of their pay progression and the policy on fixed-term contracts.

  12. Update the HR system
    You will need to update the apprenticeship User Defined Field (UDF) details for each new apprentice on the University's HR system. Please follow the guidance on the Apprenticeships scenario factsheet.
  13. Start the apprenticeship
    Once your apprentice has started in their post, they will be invited to an induction with the Apprenticeships Team. The training provider will correspond with the apprentice's line manager to make sure the apprentice is set up on their course and has completed any relevant documents.

Useful templates

Template versions of the following documents are available for download:

  • Apprenticeship Advert

  • Apprenticeship Job description

 

VIEW TEMPLATE DOCUMENTS

Budgeting for an apprentice

Apprenticeships are coordinated by the central HR team and are funded by the Apprenticeship Levy which means there are no additional costs to departments for the training. Please refer to the Government guidance on how apprenticeship levy funding works. The department may also receive incentive payments for recruiting apprentices.

Expenses

Your department will normally be responsible for the following:

  •     Provision of the relevant books and equipment that the apprentice needs
  •     Travel expenses incurred by the apprentice to attend their training course(s) (when these are over and above the costs of their normal travel to work)

Salary

There is an agreed salary progression framework that applies to all apprentices (except for existing staff on Apprenticeship training). As with all University employees, the Apprenticeship scale meets the Oxford Living Wage.

Upon Completion

Apprentices are appointed on a fixed-term contract, which matches the length of their apprenticeship(s). At the end of the fixed-term contract, you may wish to appoint the apprentice directly into a role in your department if a suitable opportunity is available. Alternatively, you may wish to provide support in finding other employment or training.

We encourage you to consider progression opportunities for apprentices as part of your strategic planning and budgeting. 

Please refer to the End of Contract guidance for more information.

  1. Identify apprenticeship
    If you are considering recruiting a Trainee apprentice, please take a look at our apprenticeship recruitment calendar to choose the correct course and plan your timeline.
  2. Sign up to an information session
    Please sign up to one of our monthly apprenticeship information sessions to learn more about the apprenticeship process.
  3. Develop a job description
    We have developed a range of apprenticeship-specific documents including template job descriptions and adverts. The job description will set out the duties and the skills required for the role. Consider which apprenticeship course may be suitable for this role.
  4. Contact the Apprenticeships Team
    Once you have a draft job description, contact the Apprenticeships Team who will support you closely with this recruitment. The first step will be to help to identify the suitable apprenticeship course and find a training provider. The team will organise a meeting with the provider(s) to discuss the course and your role in more detail. As part of this discussion, you should consider how the provider can support your shortlisting and interview process.
  5. Decision time
    Following this meeting, if you decide to go ahead with recruiting an apprentice, please inform your local HR Team so the correct local approvals can be obtained to proceed with role and they can raise a Staff Request in the University's HR system.
  6. Review
    When the Staff Request has been approved, in conjunction with your local HR Team please share the final job description with the Apprenticeship Team and the training provider for review.
  7. Advertise
    The Apprenticeship Team will post one central advert for all apprenticeships across the University. 
  8. Screen
    On a weekly basis, the Apprenticeship Team will screen the applications received and invite eligible applicants to submit a 500-word expression of interest specific to your vacancy.
  9. Shortlist
    Applications and expressions of interest will be sent to you to shortlist.  
  10. Interview
    You may wish to ask the training provider to sit on the interview panel, or to assist with other selection methods. Please provide feedback to any unsuccessful candidates who were interviewed, referring to the selection criteria for the role.
  11. Offer
    Once you have completed the selection and identified your chosen candidate(s), please telephone them to make a verbal offer of employment. Please inform the Apprenticeships Team and the training provider of the outcome. You will need to confirm the dates for the apprenticeship with the training provider before issuing the contract.

    Contractual conditions: Wherever possible departments should offer a permanent contract at the substantive grade (as long as this  is in line with the published contract guidance and Financial Regulations),  but with an initial underfill grade for a specified period.  Please see more information in the Budgeting tab.

  12. Update the HR system
    You will need to update the apprenticeship User Defined Field (UDF) details for each new apprentice on the University's HR system. Please follow the guidance on the Apprenticeships scenario factsheet.
  13. Start the apprenticeship
    Once your apprentice has started in their post, they will be invited to an induction with the Apprenticeships Team. The training provider will correspond with the apprentice's line manager to make sure the apprentice is set up on their course and has completed any relevant documents.

Useful templates

Template versions of the following documents are available for download:

  • Trainee Apprentice Advert

  • Trainee Apprenticeship Job description (HRBP)

  • Apprenticeship Contract & Learner Agreement

VIEW TEMPLATE DOCUMENTS

Budgeting for a Trainee apprentice

Apprenticeships are coordinated by the central HR team and are funded by the Apprenticeship Levy which means there are no additional costs to departments for the training. 

Contracts & salary

For apprenticeships offering an underfill route our current possible scenarios are:

  • Wherever possible departments should offer a permanent contract at the substantive grade (as long as this  is in line with the published contract guidance and Financial Regulations),  but with an initial underfill grade for a specified period.  The approved wording should be added to the contract: “Underfilling: The substantive grade for this post is grade X. You have been appointed to this position at a grade lower than the substantive grade with an appropriate adjustment to your duties whilst you complete the associated Apprenticeship programme. In accordance with the University’s policy on ‘underfilling’, you will be promoted to the substantive grade once your Head of Department is satisfied that you have gained the necessary experience to carry out the full duties of the post, which it is anticipated would be on the completion of the Apprenticeship programme.” 
  • Where a permanent contract cannot be offered (eg due to reasons set out in the contract guidance or financial regulations, such as external funding constraints) a fixed term post  may be offered.  The contract will be at the substantive grade for the post but with the approved wording on underfills for apprenticeships (as above) but must be for a minimum of one year longer than the anticipated length of the Apprenticeship programme (with longer period offered wherever funding allows) so that the Apprentice has the opportunity to work at the substantive grade for the post for a reasonable period. The justification for the fixed term contract would need to be linked to the funding constraints.

Alternatively, if funding is constrained because of being fixed term external funding, for example, the post could be reframed and regraded to a lower grade (with appropriate adjustment to the role) as a fixed-term training post and not use the underfill route at all.  This lower graded post could then be offered as a fixed term contract for the length of the Apprenticeship.  The justification for the fixed term contract would then need to be linked to both funding constraints and the fact that the post is only a training post.  

Expenses

Your department will normally be responsible for the following:

  • Provision of the relevant books and equipment that the apprentice needs
  • Travel expenses incurred by the apprentice to attend their training course(s) (when these are over and above the costs of their normal travel to work)
Managing an apprentice

All apprentices must have an assigned line manager, who will organise, with the support of the Training Provider, a programme of work-based training which will enable the apprentice to successfully attain any agreed qualifications. The line manager has a vital role in supporting the apprentice and the Training Provider in developing and evidencing opportunities for learning and assessment in the work place, in order to enable the apprentice to meet the agreed learning outcomes.

Supervisors

On-the-job training is an integral part of apprenticeships. The line manager is not expected to deliver all the work-based training; other members of the team may act as a supervisor for day-to-day tasks or specific projects. The line manager should however ensure there is consistency throughout the on-the-job training and provide appropriate support for the apprentice and the supervisors. Supervising apprentices can be a rewarding experience and offers professional development opportunities.

Mentors

It can be particularly useful for an apprentice, who may have limited experience in the workplace, to be assigned a mentor. The mentor can act as a sounding board to offer advice and guidance in a wide range of matters.

The line manager and the mentor should not be the same person. It can be really useful for the mentor to be someone from outside the apprentice's immediate team. A member of staff who has previously been an apprentice would make an ideal mentor.  

Basic information about the mentoring role can be found in the Mentoring Guidelines.
 

Supervisor_training_Oxford_University_Apprenticeships

Training

The University Apprenticeships Team organises regular training sessions for apprentice mentors and supervisors.

The sessions are delivered by external professional trainers, and are available at minimal cost. Any employee involved in supporting an apprentice is strongly encouraged to attend this training.

Please check our Eventbrite page or contact the Apprenticeships Team for further details or to be notified about future sessions. 

Off-The-Job training

Definition

Off-the-job (OTJ) training is a statutory requirement for an English apprenticeship. All apprentices are required to spend at least 20% of their time on off-the-job training. However, this doesn't mean they won't be working during this time - in fact, they don't even need to leave the office! OTJ training refers to any activity relevant to the job but not covered by day-to-day tasks. Department of Education guidelines on OTJ training state, "It is the activity, rather than the location that determines whether the training meets the funding rules definition".

The Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) defines OTJ training as:

...training received by the apprentice, during the apprentice’s paid hours, for the purpose of achieving their apprenticeship. It is not training delivered for the sole purpose of enabling the apprentice to perform the work for which they have been employed. Off-the-job training must be directly relevant to the apprenticeship framework or standard, teaching new knowledge, skills and behaviours required to reach competence in the particular occupation.

Examples

OTJ training activities may include:

  • The teaching of theory (for example: lectures, role playing, simulation exercises, online learning or manufacturer training)
  • Practical training: shadowing, mentoring, industry visits and attendance at competitions
  • Learning support and time spent writing assessments / assignments

FAQs

Below are a selection of the most common questions that employers may have about OTJ training. More questions and answers are available in the following document produced by the Department of Education: Off-the-job training: policy background and examples

Expand All

An apprenticeship is a work-based programme. The training is required to help the apprentice become fully occupationally competent in the workplace. Therefore, it is reasonable that the apprenticeship should be delivered during the apprentice’s working hours. It is not appropriate, and would be unfair, to expect an apprentice to undertake the apprenticeship in their own time, in addition to their job role. The delivery of the apprenticeship content is flexible. It is up to the employer and the training provider to decide at what point during the apprenticeship the training is best delivered. This could be a proportion every day, one day a week throughout, one week out of every five or some other variation. This will depend on what is best for the organisation and the apprentice.

Yes, there is no differential based on the level of the programme. At levels 2, 3 and 4 some employers are arguably more accustomed to a day-release type of model, which equates broadly to the 20% minimum. The eligibility criteria for the apprenticeship programme is the same regardless of level, i.e. that the individual requires significant upskilling to be occupational competent. Therefore the input of training, and how and when it is delivered, is also the same, regardless of the level of apprenticeship.

An individual will only be engaged in off-the-job training if they are an apprentice, and they should only be an apprentice if the employer has agreed that they require significant new learning (which meets the minimum threshold) to be able to perform their job effectively. If the individual does not require this level of training and can perform their job adequately without it, then they should not be engaged on an apprenticeship.

For those that are engaged on an Apprenticeship there may be an initial loss of productivity, due to the time the apprentice is engaged in training, but in the long term, the new skills that the person brings back to the workplace, which makes them fully occupationally competent, should compensate for this. An apprenticeship is one of many programmes on the market and a different programme may be a better fit for an individual or their particular employment circumstances, e.g. those that require a smaller amount of training or those where the employer cannot commit to the amount of training time to be delivered within working hours.

Apprentices are not expected to do extra (unnecessary) hours, but they still have to do a minimum of 20% off-the-job training. For example, if the apprenticeship requires a level 2 and a level 3 qualification and the individual already had the level 2, then the training provider should recognise this as prior learning. In doing so they are reducing the cost and the duration of the apprenticeship (as the apprentice now only requires the level 3 qualification).

The new (reduced) duration must still meet the minimum training duration threshold of 12 months. Of this new (reduced) duration, 20% of the working hours for this period should be spent on off-the-job training. The apprentice is still doing the minimum 20% off-the-job training (albeit against a reduced timeframe) and their previous learning has also been taken into account.

Below we have listed some more examples

Examples of Off-The-Job training
Off-The-Job learning activities Description
Working through a relevant course or qualification Completing online learning modules or attending
classes, conducting research, and seeking advice from a
tutor or teacher
Completing course assignments Working on assignments, including practice/formative
assessments
Guided mentor/coach visits Sessions with a mentor/coach in which learning is taking
place
In-house training Training provided by your organisation to develop skills
that are related to the apprenticeship
Shadowing Being assigned to shadow a colleague in order to
observe them perform their job role
 
Mentoring Using skills/knowledge to provide colleagues with
developmental advice
Workshops/masterclasses Meetings where training and/or discussions have
taken place around topics or skills related to the
apprenticeship
Industry visits Visits to external organisations or departments within
your organisation
Learning support Support provided by your organisation related to
professional development
Completing workbooks/tasks Completing written material which is linked directly to
the apprenticeship
Preparation for professional discussion Any time spent preparing information or materials prior
to a professional discussion
Gathering evidence for e-portfolio Gathering evidence of progression for the e-portfolio
Gathering evidence for reflective discussion Preparing information or materials prior to a reflective
discussion
Attendance at conferences Attending conferences relevant to the apprentice’s job
role, professional development or apprenticeship
Simulation/role play exercises Carrying out a controlled activity in order to practice for
a real-life situation
Additional support/accommodations Revision classes, personal support, additional time, or
other accommodations for apprentices with additional
learning needs
Networking events Attending networking events related to professional
development within the apprenticeship

 

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Related links

Contact us

Apprenticeships Team

E: apprenticeships@admin.ox.ac.uk

 

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