An apprenticeship is a government-funded vocational training programme for young people in which formal off-site training is combined with on-the-job experience and assessment. The result is a well-qualified and vocationally competent individual. Young people are increasingly choosing the apprenticeship route as a career-focused alternative to further education.

Swift has a selection process to ensure that only the right calibre of young person is recruited onto its apprenticeship programme. Swift will advertise your vacancy, select suitable candidates and assess their competence and attitude.

Your Swift Business Development Consultant will then provide you with suitable CVs and arrange interviews at a time suitable for you. 

Learners must have a minimum of a grade 4/C in Maths and English, they must pass a skills assessment and a rigorous interview to ensure they are engaged, motivated and willing to work.

Yes they can! Many employers now use apprenticeships as a way of improving and developing the skill of their employees. For more information on whether an apprenticeship might assist you in developing your existing employees, please contact a Swift Business Development Consultant.

As the employer you will be responsible for paying the apprentice the minimum wage for a minimum of 30 hours per week. This includes the time your apprentice spends working towards their qualification.

For more information on the National Apprenticeship Minimum Wage please go here.

Swift provide apprentices with:

• Professional industry standard training and development either at our dedicated training facilities or through a range of open and flexible learning methods such as eLearning and virtual classrooms
• Support in the workplace to create a portfolio of evidence that highlights the skills and competencies they have developed in the workplace
• Preparation support for end point assessment
• Regular progress reviews

As with any new, young employee you will need to provide them with support and guidance in their new role. Swift would recommend that you nominate a ‘mentor’ employee who will show them the ropes and teach them how to apply the classroom learned skills in a live business environment.

You will also be committed to allow your apprentice to attend all planned day release training and assessment activity at the Swift Academy or through virtual classrooms. Apprentices will also need time to undertake E-learning, research and other personal development on work time. This includes time spent completing work based assignments and projects to support their portfolio development.

All employers are required to ensure that apprentices spend 20% of their work time undertaking off-the-job learning and development activities.

The Swift apprenticeship recruitment service is free of charge. However, with the introduction of the government's new Apprenticeship Levy there may be a cost associated with the training of your apprentice, in short:

• If you employ less than 50 people and your apprentice is aged 16 to 18 then there is no cost for training.
• If you employ more than 50 people and / or your apprentice is aged 19 or older then you will be asked to make a 5% contribution towards training costs.