Recruit a New Apprentice

Guidance for managers who want to hire an apprentice or trainee

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 Levy and the only cost to the Department is the Apprentice's salary

Step by step guide

 

  1. Identify apprenticeship
    If you are considering recruiting a new apprentice
  2. 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 programme may be suitable for this role.
  3. Contact the Apprenticeships Team
    Once you have a draft job description, contact the Apprenticeships Team who will help to identify a suitable apprenticeship programme and 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, in conjunction with your local HR Team 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
    On a weekly basis, the Training Provider will screen the applications received and send you only the eligible applicants.
  8. Shortlist
    Applications and CV will be shared with you to shortlist.  
  9. 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.
  10. 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.

  11. 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 training is funded by the Apprenticeship Levy. 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.

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.
 

 

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".

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

 

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Related links

Contact us

Apprenticeships Team

E: apprenticeships@admin.ox.ac.uk

 

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