Apprenticeship Grant for Employers of 16 and 17 year olds
A new grant is offering employers an easy way to take on young apprentices. Over the next ten weeks the National Apprenticeship Service will provide up to 5,000 Apprenticeship Grants for Employers of 16 and 17 year olds (AGE 16 and 17). The grant of £2,500 is to enable employers to offer 5,000 new Apprenticeship places and take on an unemployed 16 or 17 year old apprentice immediately. The £2,500 grant is in addition to the costs of training which are already met by the National Apprenticeship Service.
Last year, despite tough labour market conditions, over 70,000 16 and 17 year olds started an Apprenticeship. Despite this there are still many more young people who want to learn whilst they are in work and we are determined to make sure that the opportunities are there for them to do so.
We particularly want to support small and medium sized employers who are interested in employing an apprentice for this first time, or who want to employ an additional apprentice over their traditional level of recruitment. In exceptional circumstances, where they can demonstrate that they are overtraining to support small employers in their supply chain or the wider sector, larger employers could be supported.
Our aim is to support employers to offer new and additional places in support of young people. Therefore we are targeting those employers who would not otherwise have been in a position to recruit an apprentice at this point in time or who are able to offer more Apprenticeship places than they would otherwise have done.
AGE 16 and 17 is available now. It is a short-term, time-limited, measure and is available immediately for employers who are able to offer a job opportunity to a young person. The AGE 16 and 17 grant is only available until the end of March.
All training providers are able to offer this incentive to employers. Providers are being encouraged to identify employers they have worked with – or previously contacted – who might benefit from this additional support.
Vacancies will be able to be advertised through Apprenticeship vacancies – our online service that matches candidates interested in an Apprenticeship with employers offering them.
To apply for AGE 16 and 17 call the National Apprenticeship Service on 08000 150 600 or visit our webpage.