It is a common misconception that an apprentice must be aged 16-25, this is simply not true.
Yes, most apprentices are aged 16-25, however, the Apprenticeship Levy funding does not restrict you to hire an apprentice within this age category.
Funding allows you to train anyone over the age of 16 – with no upper age limit in place. Apprenticeships are not only for the young, mature apprentices can play a vital role within your business by bringing experience and commitment to the industry as well as guiding the younger apprentices, this has been recognised by the rising number of older workers undertaking apprenticeships.
Another misconception is that apprentices must be ‘new starters’. Again, this is untrue. The funding that your business claims can be used to train and up-skill existing staff via an apprenticeship. It is up to you, the employer, to choose whether you would like to hire new, less-experienced team members or to fund further development within your existing workforce. This allows you to train a new employee to suit your specific business needs and/or to help an existing team member climb up the ladder of their career, becoming further qualified and more capable of a higher role.
To conclude, an apprentice can be anyone over the age of 16, from any background and have any or no previous qualifications/experience.
At Leaders in Business we offer a range of apprenticeship programmes from Level 2 to Level 5 standards, covering a variety of professional business services.