How to hire an apprentice for your small business

Hiring an apprentice can improve your business in two ways. You get someone doing real work and you build skills in the team at the same time.

But it only works if you treat it as a proper hire, not a workaround for getting labour on the cheap.

This guide is for founders who already know how to recruit. You can write a job description, run a decent interview and spot a bad fit early.

What trips people up is the apprenticeship-specific bit. That's the system you have to use, the funding rules, the training time you need to allow for, and the decisions that keep everything tidy rather than turning it into a slow drip of admin.

One practical point upfront. The UK doesn't run apprenticeships as one single scheme. England has its own set-up and funding rules, while Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland handle theirs differently.

1. Apprenticeships in 2026 – the essentials

In England, most of what matters sits inside the 2025 to 2026 apprenticeship funding rules, which apply to workers starting between 1 August 2025 and 31 July 2026.

If you're hiring as of now (February 2026), those are the rules your provider is working to and the ones you're on the hook for as the employer.

A few things have changed in ways that make a difference to small firms.

Minimum duration

From 1 August 2025, all apprenticeship training must run for at least eight months.

That doesn't mean you should try to cram everything into that period. It means you have more flexibility where it genuinely fits the job role and the person, especially when there's prior learning and you're not paying to teach what they already know.

Off-the-job training

This is now less of a maths exercise. The government has replaced the old "calculate 20% of working hours" approach with a published minimum number of off-the-job training hours for each standard.

For you, the practical takeaway is simple. You still need to protect learning time, but you're no longer stuck in arguments about percentages.

You agree a plan with the provider that meets the published minimum, then you run the business around it.

English and maths requirements

Apprentices aged 19 and over don't have to achieve standalone English and maths to complete their apprenticeship.

Whether they study them during the programme is a decision made through initial assessment and agreed with you, then written into the training plan if you want it included.

Apprentices who start aged 16 to 18 still need to achieve English and maths where necessary as part of completing the apprenticeship.

This matters when you're writing the role and choosing candidates because it affects time, motivation and what support you'll need in place.

Skills England

The Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education closed on 1 June 2025 and Skills England is now where that standards content is being maintained.

You'll also see Skills England publishing initial assessment plans as part of the ongoing assessment reforms.

In practice, this just means you and your provider should be checking the current standard and assessment plan from the right place before you commit to anything.

2. Before you recruit, decide what you actually need

Start with the work, not the apprenticeship.

If you can't explain what you want this person to do in plain English, you'll struggle to pick the right standard, the right provider and the right candidate.

Apprenticeships force you to be specific, as the training has to line up with a recognised standard and the job must give the person a chance to build those skills properly.

Design work they can own

The best way to shape the role is to map it to outcomes you'd happily pay for anyway.

Think in terms of jobs that occur time and time again and can be owned – for example:

• maintaining your CRM and cleaning up the data

• running a weekly content pipeline, so content goes out regularly instead of sitting in drafts

• managing stock and comms with suppliers

If the apprentice's role depends on you judging them every hour, it's not a great role yet.

You can still use an apprentice, but you need to redesign the work so there are chunks they can take responsibility for without you hovering.

Pick the right level, not the nicest title

Once you've got the work, choose an apprenticeship standard that fits the level of responsibility, not the title you fancy.

• If you pick something too advanced, you'll either end up inventing work to match it or pushing the apprentice too far too fast.

• If you pick something too basic, you'll bore them and you'll have a training plan that doesn't match what you actually need.

A decent provider will pressure-test this with you. If they don't, treat that as a warning sign.

Be realistic about support

Then be honest about your capacity to support them.

Someone has to line manage them. Someone has to review their work and give feedback. And you have to protect time for training and learning activities, even when you're busy.

If your week's already held together with calendar Tetris and wishful thinking, get that sorted first. Apprenticeships reward structure and punish chaos.

Decide what "good" looks like

Finally, decide what good looks like after three months, six months and at the end. Not in corporate competency speak, just in business terms.

• What can they do without being chased?

• What can they do to a standard you trust?

• What would make you think, "I'm glad we hired this person".

Write it down now. It'll make the job advert cleaner, the interviews sharper and the day-to-day management a lot less vague.

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3. What apprenticeships cost and what funding you can claim

Costs

Wages

Start with wages, because that's the bit that lands on your profit and loss sheet every month.

From 1 April 2025, the minimum rate for an apprentice has been £7.55 an hour. This will increase to £8 an hour from 1 April 2026.

The apprentice rate only applies if they're under 19 or if they're 19 or over and still in the first year. After that, they move on to the minimum wage for their age.

Plenty of small firms pay more than the minimum because it helps them attract more suitable candidates. It also tends to reduce the likelihood of the apprentice dropping out.

Training costs

These depend on whether you pay the Apprenticeship Levy. Most small businesses don't.

The levy is 0.5% of your pay bill, with a £15,000 allowance, so you only actually pay it if your annual pay bill is over £3 million.

If you're not a levy payer, you usually contribute 5% of the training and assessment cost and the government covers the rest up to the funding band for that apprenticeship.

Although your provider will handle the mechanics, you should still understand the numbers before you sign anything. After all, the price you agree is the price you're committing to.

Other costs

It's also worth budgeting for the costs that don't show up as a line item.

Someone senior will spend time managing the apprentice, checking their work and speaking to the provider.

Depending on the role, the apprentice might need equipment, software licences, a phone or to travel.

None of that is complicated. But you do need to cost it like any other hire so you don't resent the apprenticeship six weeks in.

Financial support – bursaries

There's support in the system, in certain circumstances.

In England, apprentices who are care leavers or still in care can get a £3,000 bursary paid in instalments to help them stay on the programme.

That money goes to the apprentice, not your business, but it can make a real difference when it comes to retaining them.

Growth and Skills Levy

You'll also hear a lot about the Growth and Skills Levy and it's easy to get lost in half-updated explainers.

The government's own interim guidance describes it as a move towards a more flexible offer building on the current levy.

And the House of Commons Library summary is good if you want a neutral explainer of what's been said so far and what's expected next.

For a small business hiring an apprentice in early 2026, the practical point is this: plan on the rules that exist today and treat anything labelled "coming soon" as something to confirm with your provider before you bank on it.

4. Legal stuff you need to get right

What actually puts funding at risk

If you're hiring an apprentice in England, you're signing up to the funding rules that apply to people starting between 1 August 2025 and 31 July 2026.

The rules read like a wall of text, but the risk is simple. If the apprenticeship isn't valid on paper, the money can be clawed back and you end up in a pointless dispute with your provider.

The clean way to avoid that is to treat the apprenticeship agreement and training plan as real documents, signed on time and kept up to date when anything changes.

Duration is more flexible now, but it still has a floor

Since the rules changed in August 2025, the minimum duration for a new apprenticeship is eight months.

That doesn't mean you should aim for the shortest possible programme. It means the system can recognise prior learning and avoid stretching things just to hit 12 months when it's not needed.

Your provider should assess prior learning at the start and adjust the apprenticeship's content, length and price properly.

Off-the-job training is now tied to published minimum hours

The rule is still that off-the-job training has to happen in paid working hours and be planned. The big change is how you measure it.

For new starts from 1 August 2025, each standard has a published minimum number of off-the-job training hours, provided as a spreadsheet.

For a small business, this is helpful. You can agree a realistic delivery plan with the provider without spending your time arguing about percentages and timesheets.

English and maths depends on the apprentice's age at the start

If your apprentice starts aged 19 or over, English and maths is no longer a requirement for completing the programme in the same way it used to be.

Instead, it becomes a decision based on initial assessment and what's agreed in the training plan.

If they start aged 16 to 18, the requirement still applies where relevant. This affects your scheduling, the apprentice's workload and how much study support they might need alongside the job.

Level 7 changed in January 2026

If you're thinking about a Level 7 apprenticeship, the rules tightened from 1 January 2026.

People who started a Level 7 before 1 January 2026 continue to be funded through to completion.

After that date, funded Level 7 is restricted, with eligibility linked to age and specific exemptions such as having an education, health and care plan (EHCP), being in care or being a care leaver.

If you were planning a senior apprenticeship for an existing team member, this is the point where you stop guessing and check eligibility early with the provider before you commit.

The boring employment basics still apply

None of the apprenticeship rules replace normal employment duties. You still need to do right to work checks, pay correctly, run a safe workplace and manage performance properly.

Apprenticeships aren't a separate category of employment where you can be vague and hope it sorts itself out.

If the day job is chaotic, the training gets squeezed and then you're back to chasing your tail with missed learning time and strained reviews.

The legal side only stays easy when the role has proper structure and someone is genuinely responsible for the apprentice's week.

5. How to hire an apprentice in England

Step 1: Set up the account

If you're employing an apprentice in England, you'll end up in the apprenticeship service.

You need an apprenticeship service account to manage the apprenticeship and any funding. You now access it using a GOV.UK One Login linked to a work email.

If you don't pay the Apprenticeship Levy, the same service is also where you reserve funding.

Don't leave this until after you've found your candidate because it can slow everything down at exactly the wrong moment.

Step 2: Pick a provider like you're choosing a key supplier

Most providers will say yes. Your job is to find the one who makes the apprenticeship feel simple and predictable.

You want someone who can:

• explain the training plan in plain language

• commit to delivery dates

• deal with the admin without making you chase them

The provider can also manage parts of the set-up and even create and manage vacancies on your behalf in the provider service, which helps if you're short on time.

Step 3: Agree the shape of the apprenticeship before you advertise

Get clear on the standard, the start date and what the training pattern will look like in your business. Day release, block release, a regular half day, whatever fits.

The point is that it's planned and protected. If you can't picture how the apprentice's week works, you're not ready to recruit yet.

You'll end up hiring someone and then improvising the programme – and it'll show.

Step 4: Create the vacancy through the service

You can create an apprenticeship advert inside your apprenticeship service account.

There's an approval step and the guidance says adverts are usually approved or rejected within 24 hours. That's quick, but only if your advert is clear and not full of vague filler.

The National Apprenticeship Service suggests the best time to advertise is between September and January for a role you need the following year.

That won't fit every small business – especially when you need someone sooner – but it's a useful signal about how long recruitment can take if you want a decent pool.

Step 5: Interview like you would for any other hire

You're still hiring an employee.

Treat the process with the same seriousness you'd give any junior hire, with one tweak – you're screening for learning speed, basic judgement and how they handle feedback.

A polished CV matters less than whether they can pick things up, ask sensible questions and follow through.

Step 6: Set them up properly in the service

Once you've made the offer, you and the provider use the apprenticeship service to set up the apprenticeship details and approvals.

This is the bit that ties together the employer, the provider, the training plan and the funding.

If the details are wrong or late, it creates admin later. Do it carefully once and keep the record tidy.

6. If you're outside England: Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland

Scotland

In Scotland, you're dealing with Skills Development Scotland (SDS).

The simplest route is to start on apprenticeships.scot, pick the apprenticeship type that fits the job and speak to a learning provider early.

SDS usually pays its training contribution direct to the provider and the size of that contribution depends on the apprentice's age, level and sector.

Providers can still ask you for an extra contribution so don't assume "funded" means "free" until you've seen the numbers in writing.

If you want something that reads like a practical handbook rather than policy, the apprenticeships.scot employer guidance pages are actually useful. They're written for employers and cover the common snags that trip people up once the apprentice starts.

Wales

Wales is provider-led. You work with an approved training provider who manages the training and assessment programme and you pay the wages like any other employee.

The Welsh Government guidance makes a point that's worth listening to. Get the provider involved early, not after you've hired, because they'll steer you through eligibility, funding and what's realistic for the role.

For recruitment, Wales has its own Apprenticeship Vacancy Service and you manage vacancies through the Manage Apprenticeships platform, with the vacancies visible on Find an Apprenticeship.

If you're used to England's apprenticeship service, don't assume it's the same.

Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland runs its own apprenticeship programme.

The basics will feel familiar – the apprentice is employed in a Northern Ireland-based company and they do off-the-job training, often day release, with a training provider.

NI also builds in Essential Skills qualifications, which can affect how you plan the week and how much study support the apprentice needs.

If you want the employer-facing "how do we actually do this" angle, the NI business support content is usually the best place to start because it's written with employers in mind and points you to the right programme routes.

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7. Running the apprenticeship well

Treat it like a normal role with a learning plan bolted on

If you want the apprenticeship to feel smooth, the day job has to be clear. The apprentice needs a proper manager, a defined set of responsibilities and work that adds up to something.

Then the training plan sits alongside it and turns that work into structured development.

When this works, you stop thinking about "the apprenticeship" as a separate thing. It just becomes how that person learns while they do the job.

Protect off-the-job time or you'll be firefighting later

The easiest way to break an apprenticeship is to treat learning time as optional when things get busy.

It will get busy. Protect the training time in the diary in the same way you protect a client deadline.

For new starts, the minimum off-the-job hours are published for each standard and the plan you agree with the provider needs to meet that minimum.

Make feedback routine, not an event

Apprentices improve quickly when feedback is frequent and specific. Short weekly check-ins work because any issues are small when you catch them early.

If you leave it until the formal review, you end up talking about a month of drift in one go and nobody enjoys that.

Your provider should also be involved in progress reviews and they'll expect evidence that learning is happening, not just that the apprentice is turning up.

Keep evidence simple and tied to real work

You must be able to point to what the apprentice has done, what they've learned and how it maps to the standard.

The cleanest approach is to build evidence out of normal work, such as:

• completed tasks

• project notes

• internal write-ups

• screenshots

• recordings of demos

• customer feedback

If you run everything through chat messages and verbal handovers, you'll find yourself recreating history later.

If things go sideways, deal with it fast

Sometimes, the apprentice needs time off, changes hours or hits a genuine wall. Sometimes, the business has a wobble.

In the funding rules, there's a formal concept of a break in learning and it exists for a reason. It's there to pause learning in a defined way rather than quietly letting the programme drift out of compliance.

Your provider should guide you through it, but you need to tell them early, not after the fact.

Plan the end from the beginning

A lot of apprenticeships fall flat at the finish because nobody has decided what happens next. The apprentice finishes, you scramble, they take the first decent offer elsewhere.

You don't need a grand career framework. However, you should look to give the apprentice a clear answer to "what role are they growing into here" and "what changes when they're competent".

If you can't see a next step, be honest about that upfront and hire accordingly. If you can, say it clearly early on and revisit it as they progress.

8. What to avoid with apprenticeships

Hiring a person before you've hired a role

This is the classic one. You decide you want an apprentice, you put out a vague advert, then you spend the first three months inventing work.

The apprentice feels like they're floating. You feel like you're constantly re-explaining things. The provider can't map learning properly because the job keeps shifting.

If you can't describe the work as a set of responsibilities you actually need done, pause and tighten the role before you recruit.

Choosing a standard because it sounds nice on the website

Standards aren't marketing copy. They're a set of outcomes and assessment requirements.

• If you pick something too senior, you'll either stretch the apprentice beyond what's fair or you'll end up pretending routine work is "strategic" to make it fit.

• If you pick something too junior, you'll spend the year frustrated because the training is solving a different problem to the one you hired for.

The fix is boring but effective. Match the standard to what the apprentice will genuinely do in your business, then let the provider challenge you on the level before anything gets signed off.

Letting the day job eat up the off-the-job training

You must protect the learning time you've agreed. Each standard has a published minimum number of off-the-job training hours and your plan needs to meet it.

If you keep "borrowing" that time back when things get busy, you don't just slow the apprentice's development. You risk breaking the rules and you make progress reviews miserable.

Treating the provider as an admin service

A good provider is a delivery partner. They should help you shape the programme, keep it legal and deal with the mechanics so you can focus on managing the person.

A weak provider will nod, send paperwork and disappear until the next scheduled call. If you can't get clear answers before you sign, it won't improve once you've started.

Underpaying then acting surprised when they leave

Yes, there's an apprentice minimum wage and it changes each April. But you're still hiring into a labour market.

If you pay the bare minimum and the role asks a lot, you'll either attract the wrong candidates or you'll lose a good one as soon as they find something more sustainable.

Paying a bit more can be cheaper than rehiring mid-programme.

Forgetting you're building a future employee

If you never talk about what happens after the programme, you're effectively training someone for their next job. That might still be fine if you need a short-term boost and you're honest about it.

But if your goal is retention, you need to be clear about progression, responsibility and pay movement as they get competent. Otherwise, you hit completion and they're gone within a month.

9. Official resources you'll actually use

England

The "Employing an apprentice" pages on GOV.UK are the best starting point when you want the official version of the process and the links to the apprenticeship service.

When you need the rules that sit behind funding and compliance, go straight to the 2025 to 2026 funding rules and keep a bookmark.

Pay

For pay rates, use Acas because it's clear and it updates when the April changes land. (acas.org.uk)

Scotland

For Scotland, apprenticeships.scot is the right front door for employer guidance and how funding works through Skills Development Scotland.

Wales

For Wales, the Welsh Government guidance on recruiting an apprentice is the cleanest explanation of how it works and what you do with a provider.

Northern Ireland

For Northern Ireland, nidirect is the most straightforward explainer of how apprenticeship programmes work there and NI Business Info is useful when you want the employer angle.

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