Externally recruiting an apprentice

An apprenticeship is a nationally recognised and approved work-based training programme providing the opportunity to learn new skills both on and off the job.

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.

You can employ apprentices at different levels, from school leavers and university graduates, to people who want to further their careers or change career direction completely.

The benefits of recruiting an apprentice are that it is an effective way to grow talent and develop a motivated, skilled, and qualified workforce. You can also adapt the individuals training according to the needs of your department. An apprentice is often motivated and keen to learn new skills to become a valued employee within the team.

As an employer, we receive government funding to help pay for the apprenticeship training. An apprentice is employed on a learning contract where the emphasis is upon the apprentice's learning. Whilst the apprentice's experience with the council needs to reflect a real working environment, providing a supportive placement to allow them to learn and develop is a priority.

Off the job training will equate to a minimum of 6 hours per week (over the duration of the apprenticeship). A few examples of off-the-job, classroom learning, job shadowing, mentoring, coursework and many more ways.

Recruiting a new apprentice

Now you have decided that you wish to recruit an apprentice, the next steps are as follows:

1. Contact dcc.apprenticeships@derbyshire.gov.uk if you are unsure on which apprenticeship standard is most suitable.
2. Obtain approval to recruit an apprentice by going through the resourcing approval process.
3. Once you have confirmation of approval to recruit to the positions, complete an apprenticeship application form. Please do not start the recruitment process until the apprentice levy approval and the training provider have been confirmed.
4. The DCC apprenticeships team will review the application form and check against the available apprentice levy spend. Upon approval, we will confirm to you if the procurement of an external training provider needs to take place or if Derbyshire Adult Community Education Services (DACES) are the training provider for the apprenticeship.
5. If an external training provider needs to be procured, we will update you throughout the process. Procurement can take up to 4 weeks.
6. Whilst awaiting confirmation of the training provider, you can develop or review the relevant job profile and create an advert ready for external recruitment. You should not advertise the apprenticeship until the training provider is confirmed.
7. Once the training provider has been confirmed, you can enter the job profile and advert onto Recruit.
8. You should consider all applicants after the closing date, as you would any other recruitment process and proceed to interview.
9. Prior to interviewing, contact the training provider to discuss with them the type of skills, knowledge and behaviours which are required for the apprenticeship, so this can be taken into consideration when shortlisting. If needed, you should contact the training provider again if you have any concerns over apprenticeship suitability before an offer of employment is made.
10. Once the successful candidate has been identified, you will need to complete a new apprentice information form to match the new apprentices details with the original apprenticeship application form.
11. Once a start date has been confirmed, you will inform the training provider and arrange next steps for their apprenticeship onboarding and induction.

A flowchart for recruiting a new apprentice is attached to this page.

Procurement of a training provider

1. we will confirm to the line manager if the procurement of an external training provider needs to take place or if Derbyshire Adult Community Education (DACES) are the training provider
2. we will work with the line manager throughout the procurement process
3. we will provide details of an approved training provider for the line manager to review and confirm
4. we will complete the relevant procurement processes
5. the line manager contacts the training provider to discuss the type of skills, knowledge and behaviours which are required for the apprenticeship, so this can be taken into consideration when shortlisting / interviewing. If needed, line manager should contact the training provider again if they have any concerns over apprenticeship suitability before an offer of employment is made
6. training provider to conduct skills assessment for apprentice
7. line manager to inform training provider of preferred start date of apprenticeship
8. line manager to work with training provider to confirm start date and arrange induction
9. apprenticeship starts

Contact us

Contacts for queries or further clarification, all enquiries email dcc.apprenticeships@derbyshire.gov.uk.