St Helens College Website

Apprenticeship Grants Available The National Apprenticeship Service has announced a new grant initiative.

Apprenticeship Grants will help Small Businesses

Apprenticeships are vital to the future of business and the latest announcement by the National Apprenticeship Service should encourage local businesses within the town to employ a young apprentice.

The National Apprenticeship Service have announced that they are to provide up to 40,000 Apprenticeship grants to small/medium sized employers recruiting 16 to 24 year olds on an apprenticeship programme.  New employers will be eligible to receive the Apprenticeship Grant for Employers of 16 to 24 year olds (AGE 16 to 24), a wage grant with the value of £1,500.  The £1,500 is in addition to the training costs of the Apprenticeship framework which are met in full for young people aged 16 to 18.

The new Apprenticeship grant of £1,500 is payable in two instalments, for up to 40,000 eligible employers who commit to employ one or more 16 to 24 year old apprentices for the first time.  The payment is a grant and is exempt from VAT.

The grant is for small-medium sized employers with less than 250 employees and the National Apprenticeship Service hope to support at least 40,000 of these employers to recruit an apprentice for the first time.

It is expected that most employers will want to access the AGE 16 to 24 grant to support the recruitment of one apprentice.  However subject to budget availability and the employer’s commitment to support the apprentice to the end of their programme, up to 3 grants can be made to any one employer (the employer must agree to the number of apprentices when applying for the grant).

The AGE funding is available now (until March 2013) for employers who are able to offer a job opportunity to a young person they recruit.  For further information about the new AGE 16 to 24 grant or more details about our apprenticeship programmes, please contact the Business Development Team on 01744 623342 or visit the National Apprenticeship Service website http://www.apprenticeships.org.uk/Employers/Steps-to-make-it-happen/Incentive.aspx

Click here to see if you would be eligible for the grant -  "Apprenticeship Grants for Employers of 16 to 24 year olds (AGE 16 to 24) - Employer Agreement"