Employer Benefits and The Role of the Employer

Employer Benefit

• Free Apprenticeship Recruitment Service to the employer • Higher Level Apprenticeships can help your company grow by developing a pipeline of motivated, skilled, qualified and professional staff. • Higher Level Apprenticeships offer new workbased routes into professions which have traditionally been the preserve of graduates. • A diverse workforce, school leavers complementing graduate intake. • Selection and recruitment controlled by the employer – ability to enhance entry criteria. • Potential membership of Programme Advisory Board to review and advise DfE on areas for improvement. • Tuition and registration costs covered.

Role Of Employer

• As an employer you employ the apprentice from day 1 with a contract of employment – minimum of 21 hours per week (including directed training element). • Directed training in college must be paid as part of the apprentices’ contracted hours of work. Study leave paid allowance is at the discretion of the employer. • Programme duration is 2 years to 3 years depending on course. • If your company is offering the HLA opportunity to an existing staff member the employer must provide evidence to support the transfer into new role. • Apprentices’ wage should be commensurate with the industry rate for the job and in accordance with the national minimum wage https:// www.nidirect.gov.uk/articles/nationalminimum-wage. • Insurance - The minimum level of cover for Employers’ Liability Insurance must be in line with the legal requirements under the Employers’ Liability (Defective Equipment & Compulsory Insurance) (Northern Ireland) Order 1972. The minimum level of cover is £5 million. • If you are claiming financial support from any other Departmental budget or programme this funding cannot be used to pay the HLA apprentice wage. • This HLA programme is subject to Audit by the DfE Inspection Team. • HLA courses will run subject to viable numbers.

This project is part funded through the Northern Ireland European Social Fund Programme 2014 – 2020 and the Department for the Economy