Apprenticeships for the school workforce

Apprenticeships are available to anyone over the age of 16, living in England and are available at intermediate, advanced, higher and degree levels.

Benefits of apprenticeships:

  • They are a great way for schools to improve the skills of your employees of all ages and levels of experience, in a wide variety of roles.
  • They recruit new employees.
  • They provide training that is tailored to the needs and requirements of your school. This can be through workplace learning and formal training.
  • They can be used as part of your strategic workforce planning, to promote a diverse and inclusive workforce and support recruitment and retention.

Popular apprenticeships for schools

There are hundreds of different apprenticeships to select from.  Here are some of the most popular apprenticeships standards that schools are using:

In April 2017, the government changed the way that it funds apprenticeships in England. Employers with a payroll bill of over £3m per year, including schools, are now required to contribute to an apprenticeship levy.

Many schools who are maintained by local authorities and academy trusts also contribute to the levy as part of their employer’s overall payroll bill.

If your school pays the levy, the money can be used to invest in apprenticeships training for your staff.

Schools apprenticeship checklist

  • Consider which apprenticeship opportunities might be suitable for your school and how the apprenticeship can provide the training and skills needed.
  • Check whether your school pays the apprenticeship levy or not, and/or whether you can access the co-investment.  If your school is part of a larger employer group (e.g. Local Authority or multi-academy trust) contact them to agree how you will access the relevant funds to spend on apprenticeships.
  • You should check whether your school is in scope of the public sector target and how workforce plans are taking this into account. 
  • Follow the steps to hire an apprentice

Further information

For further information please contact the National Apprenticeship Service Helpdesk at helpdesk@manage-apprenticeships.service.gov.uk or call free from a landline or mobile 08000 150 600 (8am to 10pm Monday to Sunday)

If you are a school under the control of Trafford Council please contact Sarah.Eckersley@Trafford.gov.uk.

See below for helpful links: