It is fast becoming an effective alternative to traditional routes and provides both practical experience alongside a structured training programme delivered by approved training providers.
An apprenticeship can be utilised to hire someone new or upskill an existing employee. They are a great way to develop individuals with new skills, knowledge and experience in line with both business requirements and individual development.
As an employer, we receive government funding to help pay for the apprenticeship training.
Apprenticeship Funding rules
The apprenticeship funding rules are what employers and training providers must follow to secure funding for training and assessing apprentices in England.
There are different funding rules for different apprenticeship start dates.
It is important that we follow the correct funding rules that apply to each apprentice.
More information on apprenticeship funding rules can be found on the gov.uk website.
Types of apprenticeships
Apprenticeships cover different levels, from school leavers and university graduates, to people who want to further their careers or change career direction completely.
There is a vast number of apprenticeships available across different occupational groups. The Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education is an employer-led organisation who provide the standards for apprenticeships and continue to develop new requirements.
Apprenticeship levels:
- intermediate - level 2 - equivalent to GCSE
- advanced - level 3 - equivalent to A Level
- higher - level 4, 5, 6 and 7 - equivalent to foundation degree and above
- degree - level 6 and 7 - equivalent to a full bachelor's or master's degree
Check out the different types of apprenticeship standards at the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education.
Duration varies by occupation from 12 months to over 3 years for a degree level apprenticeship.
- apprenticeships can be for existing staff not just for new recruits
- apprentices can be any age
- apprenticeships can be for staff in entry level roles up to ones that include a degree for staff in professional occupations
- many apprenticeships are mapped to, and include professional body standards or chartered status
- 6 hours per week off-the-job training does not always mean time out of the office
- there's a financial incentive for the employer
Functional skills
Functional skills, such as English and maths, have been a requirement of apprenticeships to ensure that all apprentices have a basic level of literacy and numeracy, to help individuals perform everyday tasks and improve their employability. In February 2025, the government announced changes allowing employers more flexibility over maths and English requirements.
Our approach to functional skills is that from February 2025, only apprentices who begin their apprenticeship training when aged 16-18 years old will be subject to the mandatory requirement of attaining Level 2 English and maths functional skills. Find out more about changes to English and maths requirements on the gov.uk website.
If you are aged 19 and over, our position as an employer is that you are not required to attain Level 2 English and maths. If there is a critical need for this in the role that you do, or you feel longer term this will benefit you personally, then you should discuss this with your line manager and with the training provider as part of the onboarding / skill scan meeting.
Leadership apprenticeships
We also offer leadership apprenticeships in partnership with the University of Derby and Derbyshire Adult Community Education (DACES) to support our leaders and managers as we move forward. These apprenticeships are run on a cohort basis.
There is further information on leadership apprenticeships including application open dates.
Virtual drop-in sessions
Our next sessions are to support anyone who has a question about leadership apprenticeships at the council.
One session is for line managers who have a direct report either currently completing a leadership apprenticeship or considering applying for one.
The other session is for employees who are either currently completing a leadership apprenticeship or are considering applying for a leadership apprenticeship themselves.
There's no agenda, just time we're putting aside for you to drop in and ask any questions you may have linked to leadership apprenticeships.
If you want to join either of these sessions, here are the joining instructions: