Government to pay £3,000 towards new apprenticeships

Farm businesses in England can claim up to £3,000 for each apprentice hired as a new employee under a government-backed scheme.

The application window for the apprenticeship scheme, which was set out in the March Budget, opened on 1 June and runs until the end of September.

Applications can be made for each new employee hired from 1 April 2021 up to the 30 September deadline.

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Minister for apprenticeships and skills Gillian Keegan said apprenticeships would help employers grow their businesses and play a key role in the economic recovery.

“This cash boost will help even more employers to invest in their future workforce, creating more high-quality apprenticeship opportunities,” Ms Keegan said.

Employers can choose how to spend the cash, such as towards the apprentice’s wages, travel expenses or workwear costs.

Payment and eligibility

Funding will be released only after the business has been checked and verified in a process that could take up to 80 days.

Payments will then be made in two equal instalments for each apprentice. The first payment is due after an apprentice completes 90 days of their apprenticeship and the second is due after 365 days.

The £3,000 payment is in addition to the £1,000 employers already receive for hiring an apprentice:

• Aged 16 to 18 years old
• Under 25 with an education, health and care plan, or who has been in the care of their local authority.

To receive the full payment, the apprenticeship must last for at least one year.

Traineeships

The government is also aiming to help create 40,000 more traineeships for 16 to 24-year-olds in England in 2021-22.

Employers can apply for a £1,000 payment to help deliver traineeships, which last between six weeks and 12 months, to boost employability and bridge skills gaps.

How to apply for funding

Apprenticeships

• Visit the government’s apprenticeship web page to apply
• Further details on the scheme are available on the government website

Traineeships

• Visit the government’s traineeship web page 

Further help can be gained for both schemes from Monday to Friday 8am-8pm via

• Email: helpdesk@manage-apprenticeships.service.gov.uk
• Phone: 08000 150 600
• Text: 07588 690018