Supporting Success: A Complete Guide To Hiring & Developing An Apprentice

As another school year ends, many young people will be finishing their secondary school education and pondering their next move. For some, this may lead them into considering an apprenticeship as a unique and practical way into learning and developing their desired career.

Builder’s merchant and cheap bricks supplier Travis Perkins plc is a huge supporter of the UK’s apprenticeship scene. In fact, the company is currently working towards its landmark target to train 10,000 apprentices by 2030.

The aim was announced back in March 2023 while the firm was holding its inaugural apprenticeship graduation ceremony – an event which celebrated the achievements of 382 apprentice graduates.

Upon revealing the target, Nick Roberts, the CEO of Travis Perkins plc, stated: “I am delighted to be announcing this ambitious target to train the next generation of apprentices. Ensuring our country is equipped with the right skills to deliver a greener, more sustainable future for our built environment is essential.

“We aim to bring in fresh talent; improve the diversity of our industry, and upskill existing colleagues, at a time when net zero and new safety legislation means the building and construction industry is undergoing its biggest shake-up for more than 30 years.

“Apprenticeships are fundamental to ensuring that the industry has the skills we need to deliver on net zero, retrofitting buildings, looking after our rich built heritage in every town and city, and creating a built environment that we can all be proud of.”

The success of Travis Perkins plc’s apprenticeship scheme appears clear by the fact that the company has ranked number 32 on the Top 100 Apprenticeship Employers table for 2025. Compiled by the Department for Education in partnership with RateMyApprenticeship, the rankings celebrate the leading apprenticeship employers across England in the following areas:

• A company’s commitment to employ apprentices
• The diversity of a company’s apprentices
• The achievements of apprentices at a company
• The feedback from apprentices about the programme they are on 

Commenting on the release of the 2025 table in a GOV.UK press release, Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said: “Congratulations to all the employers recognised for their outstanding apprenticeship programmes. They are delivering the skilled workforce we need to deliver our number one mission to grow the economy and breaking down barriers for young people across the country.”

In light of this success, Travis Perkins has detailed why companies should take on an apprentice and also some key considerations to bear in mind…

Why Hire An Apprentice?

Employers and their companies can experience so many benefits from adding apprentices into their workforce. Just some of the key reasons for setting up an apprenticeship scheme at your firm include: 

• Employers can train apprentices to work the way that will make them a suitable employee for a company, addressing the skills shortage while avoiding the challenge of finding a skilled person for a vacant role.
  
  
• This tailored on-the-job training will start from the very first day that someone begins an apprenticeship too.
  
  
• Apprenticeship schemes build a culture of learning and development around a workplace.
  
  
• Apprentices can diversify a firm’s workforce, bringing people of all ages, career levels and backgrounds into a team.
  
  
• A company’s reputation can also be boosted by showcasing that they support young people in a community through apprenticeship programmes.
  
  
• You get to feel a sense of accomplishment by being able to follow an apprentice from their early stages on a programme all the way through to them becoming a great member of the workforce.
  
  
• Apprentices often have a loyalty to the company which has trained them at the end of their apprenticeship programme, resulting in higher staff retention and increased morale levels around a workplace.
  
  
• Taking on an apprentice can have the knock-on effect of challenging employees training them to review their own skill set and consider if they can be working differently.
  
  
• Apprentices also often help the rest of a company’s workforce by bringing enthusiasm and fresh ideas into a team, sometimes to the point where processes around an entire firm can be improved. 

Support Available When Taking On Apprentices

A tenth reason for taking on an apprentice at your company is that you can get help from the government to fund your apprenticeship training and any assessments which someone learning a trade needs to complete.

The amount a firm can receive in support will rest on whether they pay the apprenticeship levy. An additional payment of £1,000 may also be available, depending on the person who has signed up for the apprenticeship scheme.

Get a better idea about just how much funding you can get from the government to pay for apprenticeship training by reading this in-depth guide from GOV.UK.

An Employer’s Responsibilities When Taking On An Apprentice

As you can see then, there are numerous reasons to introducing apprentices into your company. Just be sure you fulfil all your responsibilities as an employer if you do set up an apprenticeship scheme to boost your workforce.

To help here, work through this checklist and ensure you have ticked off all tasks: 

• An employer and an apprentice must sign an apprenticeship agreement at the start of someone’s apprenticeship programme. GOV.UK has an apprenticeship agreement template available for you to download here.
  
  
• An employer must also develop an apprenticeship training plan, with this document required to be signed by the employer, the apprentice and the apprenticeship training provider. Again, GOV.UK has an apprenticeship training plan template available for you to download here.
  
  
• Employers must recognise prior learning that an apprentice has received, tailoring a programme so that someone can build on the skills they already have where necessary.
  
  
• Reasonable adjustments must be made by employers so that apprentices who have health conditions or disabilities are never disadvantaged in their roles.
  
  
• Apprentices must be paid at least the National Minimum Wage. Click here to learn what the wage rate is for an apprentice you have taken on, as this can differ from one person to the next.
  
  
• You as an employer are responsible for delivering on-the-job training to an apprentice. This includes guiding and supervising them to perform all tasks required for a role they are gaining experience in, as well as being educated on a firm’s health and safety regulations.
  
  
• At least 20 per cent of an apprentice’s regular working hours is dedicated to off-the-job training, such as attending workshops or sitting training courses related to their role. You can be flexible about when during a working day/week that off-the-job training takes place.
  
  
• There could be requirements for an apprentice to improve their English and Maths qualifications while working through an apprenticeship scheme. Attending classes or sitting courses may need to be provided during an apprentice’s working hours to cover this, with this study not counted within the 20 per cent minimum off-the-job training that someone is obligated to receive.

With recent Department for Education research finding that apprenticeship learner participation numbers in England reached 633,600 individuals for the August 2024 to January 2025 part of the 2024/25 academic, apprenticeship programmes are certainly proving appealing across the country.

Employers have so many reasons to introduce their own apprenticeship scheme across their company, which can prove very successful so long as all responsibilities are met.

Sources: 

• https://www.tpplccareers.co.uk/apprenticeships
• https://www.travisperkinsplc.co.uk/news-and-media/press-releases/2023/travis-perkins-plc-launches-landmark-10-000-apprentices-target/
• https://www.apprenticeships.gov.uk/employers/understanding-apprenticeship-benefits-and-funding#
• https://www.fdmgroup.com/news-insights/apprenticeship-benefits-for-businesses/
• https://www.ckcareers.co.uk/c-k-news/9-benefits-of-hiring-an-apprentice-to-employers
• https://www.star.org.uk/six-reasons-why-you-should-hire-an-apprentice/
• https://for-traders.which.co.uk/advice/why-you-should-consider-hiring-an-apprentice
• https://www.tradesmansaver.co.uk/tradesman-insights/why-you-need-an-apprentice-for-your-business/
• https://www.gov.uk/employing-an-apprentice/get-funding
• https://www.apprenticeships.gov.uk/employers/your-responsibilities-as-an-employer

Source : Travis Perkins 

Image : Jevanto Productions / Shutterstock / 1011398482

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