Recruit a New Apprentice

Guidance for managers who want to recruit an apprentice

Apprenticeships play a vital role in developing a skilled workforce, supporting our world-leading teaching and research activities. All apprenticeship training is fully funded through the University’s Apprenticeship Growth and Skills Levy and the only cost to the Department is the Apprentice's salary

Step by step guide

 

  1. Identify apprenticeship role
    If you are considering recruiting a new apprentice, please visit Skills England website to identify the relevant apprenticeship programme
  2. Develop a job description
    Draft a job description setting out the duties and skills required for the role and compare with the chosen apprenticeship programme to ensure its relevant. 
  3. Contact the Apprenticeships Team
    Once you have a draft job description, contact the Apprenticeships Team who will help to identify a suitable training provider. The team will put you in direct contact with the provider(s) to discuss the programme and your role in more detail. 
  4. 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.
  5. Review
    Once the Staff Request has been approved, please share the final job description with the Apprenticeship Team and the training provider for review. 
  6. Advertise
    The training provider will add the advert to the Government Find an Apprenticeship website and share the live link with your recruitment team to post the advert on the university apprenticeships job page.  
  7. Screen & Shortlist
    The Training Provider will screen the applications received and send you the eligible applications and CV for shortlisting. Once you have your shortlisted candidates, please inform the training provider so they can reject all other candidates. 
  8. Interview
    The Department is responsible for inviting the applicants to interview and provide feedback to any unsuccessful candidates.
  9. Offer & Contract 
    Once you have identified your chosen candidate(s), please contact 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. Apprentices are also bound by the Handbook for Support Staff, with the exception of their pay progression and the policy on fixed-term contracts.
  10. 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 your central HR team and training is funded by the Apprenticeship Growth and Skills Levy. The department may also receive incentive payments for recruiting apprentices age 16 - 18 years old. 

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.

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/Buddy

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

The line manager and the mentor/buddy should not be the same person. It can be really useful for the mentor/buddy 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/buddy.  

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

 

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 6 hours per week 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".

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

 

Related links

Contact us

Apprenticeships Team

E: apprenticeships@admin.ox.ac.uk