FW Solutions work with you to create an advert for your vacancy. This is placed on the Government ‘Find an Apprenticeship’ website and FW Solutions’ website free of charge. Vacancies are also regularly posted on our social media platforms and sent to local school’s careers departments.
We telephone interview all applicants to filter out the best match to your vacancy. We then set up formal interviews on your behalf at times suitable for you, either in person or by video conference.
We regularly receive CVs for candidates looking for a suitable apprenticeship position so we will also use this database of learners to make sure we find you the best possible match.
Once you have chosen a successful applicant you follow your own organisation’s recruitment procedure.
During this time, FW Solutions will arrange a curriculum meeting to plan and agree the Off the Job training that your apprentice will undertake.
All organisations will receive an incentive for employing an apprentice aged 16-18. This £1000 incentive is paid to you in two instalments after the apprentice has been in learning for 3 and 12 months. This incentive is also paid for some groups of apprentices up to the age of 24, for example if they have an Education, Health and Care Plan. Please discuss these incentive payments and your eligibility with the Employer Engagement Team.
Incentive payments for hiring a new apprentice are available for any organisation, no matter the size or the sector.
Employers can make up to 10 new reservations
Employers can reserve funding three months before an apprentice’s expected start date and have a further two months after the planned reservation month to start their apprentice. If no commitment is made on the apprenticeship service by then, the reservation will expire.
Funds transferred from employers who pay the levy to other employers through the apprenticeship service are not included when measuring the number of reservations.
Employers who do not pay the Apprenticeship Levy can reserve funds for training and assessment in the ‘finance’ section of their apprenticeship service account. They can also give training providers permission to do this on their behalf.
To access the Government incentives for hiring an apprentice, you must claim them through your Apprenticeship Service account. You can request an invitation to join from the Employer Engagement Team or follow this guidance.
Employers will hold a contract with FW Solutions and access funding through the service.
Employers should reserve their funding on the service at least four weeks in advance of the apprentice start date.
Employers can delegate permissions to us, your Training Provider, to administer your accounts once the initial set up is complete.
The FW Solutions Team will support you to:
You can also advertise for apprentices on this service should you wish to.
The Apprenticeship Levy is a UK tax on employers which can be used to fund apprenticeship training. In the current tax year, it is payable by all employers with an annual pay bill of more than £3 million at a rate of 0.5% of their total pay bill. It underpins the Government’s growth and reform programme to significantly increase the quantity and quality of apprenticeships.
Apprenticeships can be funded by a levy paying employer transferring up to 25% of their unused levy to a different employer.
Transferred funds are used to pay for 100% of the training and assessment costs of the apprenticeship up to the funding band maximum.
Transferred funds cover the cost of the whole duration of the apprenticeship.
You need an apprenticeship service account to apply for a transfer to fund an apprenticeship for your business.
If you do not have an apprenticeship service account you can read the guidance on setting one up.
Before logging into your account and starting the process you need to:
Transfers must be made within the financial year which ends March 2022.
You can apply for multiple apprentices within one application if they are doing the same apprenticeship. If your apprentices are doing different apprenticeships you need multiple applications.
Once you have applied for a transfer you can see the status of your application in your apprenticeship service account.
Your application is shared directly with the employer. They will review and confirm if they have accepted your application.
If your application is rejected you can apply for another transfer or get funding via reservation
Click here for the full guidance.
The free LEP Apprenticeship Levy Transfer Service was launched in November 2019 to ensure that as many businesses across the Leeds City Region have the opportunity to offer apprenticeships.
The Apprenticeship Service (AS) is an online portal where you manage your apprentices, payments to training providers and apprenticeship levy.
You can register for an account at: https://bit.ly/31ZMKS0
The Apprenticeship Service Account Helpline is open from 8am to 8pm, Monday to Friday.
Call: 08000 150 600 or email: helpdesk@manageapprenticeships.service.gov.uk
The Transfer Process
If you are a Local Authority school then please contact your Workforce Development unit. If you are a school academy independent from your Local Authority, please speak to your school Business Advisor about how to access the Levy funds for your school. Click here for the Government guide on apprenticeships for the school workforce.