Setting up an apprenticeship

To get the most value from an apprenticeship, it's important to choose a programme that addresses your organisation's skills gaps and business needs.  

The University of Leeds offers higher and degree apprenticeships at a range of levels: 

• Level 5 – comparable to a foundation degree, higher national diploma, or industry specific qualification. 
• Level 6 – equivalent to a full bachelor’s degree. 
• Level 7 – our highest apprenticeship level and equivalent to postgraduate study. 

View the full list of apprenticeship courses offered by University of Leeds. 

You can also use the Skills England website to find other apprenticeship opportunities. 

There are a various ways to fund your apprenticeship and the method you choose depends on the size of your annual wage bill. A few key things to remember are: 

• Funding will usually contribute a significant – but not the full – amount towards the costs associated with hiring an apprentice.  
• The costs you will need to factor in are the same as for your other employees, such as salary (paid in the same way as your other employees), maternity and paternity pay and additional training.  
• The apprentice must be paid a lawful minimum wage for the time they are in work and training, and their wage must comply with the National Minimum Wage regulations.

All funding is managed by the Government via the Apprenticeship Service​​​​​. You will need to set up an Apprenticeship Service account before you get started. 

If you would like guidance or more information on funding options, email the Apprenticeships team at apprenticeships@leeds.ac.uk.

You'll need to decide who will undertake the apprenticeship and this could be either an existing member of staff, or a new member of staff that you will need to recruit.

Eligibility criteria

Apprentices must meet the eligibility criteria set out in the Government’s Apprenticeship Funding Rules. 

Eligibility criteria include:

• having completed compulsory education
• holding a valid and eligible residency status
• holding GCSE English and Maths at Level 2 (Grade C/4 or above).

If an apprentice cannot provide evidence of holding Level 2 Maths and English qualifications (GCSE Grade C/4 or above), they will have the opportunity to achieve Functional Skills qualifications during their apprenticeship with the agreement of their employer. For any apprentices age 16-18 at the start of training not already holding English and / or Maths at level two, completion of these qualifications is mandatory. The University has approved training providers to deliver and assess English and Maths at level 2.

If you are unsure if an individual is eligible, please email the Apprenticeships team at apprenticeships@leeds.ac.uk.

Initial needs assessment

Every apprenticeship is tailored to the individual and our team carries out an initial needs assessment with each prospective apprentice to understand their previous experience and qualifications.

This helps us identify the most appropriate starting point and ensure the apprenticeship builds on existing knowledge while developing new skills. English and maths qualifications will be discussed as part of the initial needs assessment, and whether a standalone qualification should be completed as part of the apprenticeship.  

Apprentices with significant prior experience may be eligible for Recognised Prior Learning (RPL), which can reduce the duration and cost of the apprenticeship.

Once you're ready to proceed, you'll need to complete some paperwork to confirm the apprenticeship. The University can help you prepare the required documents, including:

• An apprenticeship contract with the University, setting out the funding arrangements. This is separate from the apprentice's employment contract. 
• A training plan outlining the duration and content of the apprenticeship, as well as the responsibilities and expectations of everyone involved. 

You'll also need to create an apprenticeship agreement with your apprentice. This accompanies the training plan and confirms the required off-the-job training hours and the duration of the apprenticeship. 

For convenience, the Government provides an apprenticeship agreement template for employers that you can use. 

All of our apprenticeship programmes include scheduled teaching sessions with academic staff, delivered both on campus and remotely. These may take place one day per week or as a study block (also known as ‘block release’).

When your apprentice enrols, they will receive a timetable outlining all planned teaching sessions for their first semester.

You should continue to pay your apprentice their usual salary or hourly rate while they attend these sessions, and the time should count towards their contracted working hours.

Each apprenticeship programme has a minimum requirement of off-the-job training hours an apprentice must while on the programme. The majority of this will be covered during the teaching sessions with the University, but it should also include activities in the workplace such as: 

• mentoring sessions with a senior colleague
• shadowing experienced staff in a similar role
• completing project or assignment work
• attending industry-specific workshops or seminars
• networking with other apprentices to share good practice
• roleplay or simulation of workplace situations
• writing a reflective account of a workplace experience
• attending training sessions on key industry topics.

All off-the-job hours must be logged to evidence  learning, progression and achievement. 

As an employer, you must assign a workplace mentor to support your apprentice throughout their apprenticeship. 

The mentor helps the apprentice apply and embed their learning in the workplace by sharing their knowledge, experience and expertise. 

The mentor may be the apprentice’s line manager or another colleague with relevant experience. 

Progress reviews are a chance for the apprentice, employer and University to take a step back, look at how things are going and make sure the apprentice is getting the most from their apprenticeship. 

They provide an opportunity to celebrate progress and achievements, talk through any challenges or support needs, and agree on priorities for the next stage of the apprenticeship. The review also helps everyone stay clear on what the apprentice is learning, how this is being applied in the workplace and what they need to do next. 

Regular progress reviews help keep everyone connected and ensure the apprentice has the right support to succeed, both in their studies and in the workplace.

To be awarded the apprenticeship, apprentices must pass the apprenticeship assessment, which is set out in the assessment plan for the occupational standard. This will include meeting the learning outcomes for the HE level qualification.   

Knowledge and skills statements for the standard are assessed by the designated Assessment Organisation, as per the assessment plan.  

Employers are responsible for verifying that apprentices have sufficiently demonstrated the behaviours set out in the occupational standard. Employers need to confirm that the required behaviours have been met as part of the gateway to completion process.  

The knowledge, skills and behaviours, gateway to completion requirements and apprenticeship assessment requirements (formerly known as the End Point Assessment or EPA) for each apprenticeship standard can be found on the Skills England website.

You and your apprentice will receive support from a range of people and services throughout the apprenticeship:

• University account manager - a named contact from the outset who will guide you through the enrolment process and can any questions or deal with any concerns that may arise throughout the programme. Their role is to maintain service excellence. 
• Apprenticeship team - an impartial service within the University to assure the quality of your apprenticeship programme. They may contact you for feedback. This will help us to continuously improve our apprenticeship provision. 
• Personal tutor - a personal tutor who will organise meetings with them to discuss their academic progress. They will listen to any issues the apprentice may face and signpost them to relevant services and support. They may also complete the termly progress reviews. 
• Teaching staff - our academic staff are specialists within their fields and may have written books and research articles that your apprentice will be using as part of the apprenticeship. Our teaching standards are internationally recognised and undergo thorough quality assurance processes. 
• Pastoral support - a network of support and pastoral care to help your apprentice make the most of their time with us and to assist with any difficulties they may have. Our services will work together to ensure any problems are dealt with as quickly as possible.  
• Disability services - if your apprentice has an impairment, physical or mental health condition or a specific learning difficulty, like dyslexia, it’s important they contact our Disability Services as soon as possible, ideally before they start their apprenticeship, so we can get the right support in place.

You and your apprentice may be asked to provide feedback on your experience with us. This may be shared with the University of Leeds or external organisations, for example, as part of a formal inspection by Ofsted (the Office for Standards in Education, Children’s Services and Skills).

To provide feedback, email our Apprenticeships team at apprenticeships@leeds.ac.uk.