Everything you need to know about apprentice recruitment

Once you have chosen an apprenticeship from our wide range of sectors that your business would like to provide, it’s time to find and recruit the ideal candidate.  

How to recruit an apprentice 

National Apprenticeship Service listing 

The National Apprenticeship Service allows you advertise your apprenticeship vacancy on their website to potential candidates. This is a great way to reach individuals actively searching for apprenticeship opportunities  

Job sites 

Similarly to any other job vacancy, there are a whole host of websites you can use to list them on, popular examples include Indeed, Total Jobs and CV Library. These websites can help you advertise apprenticeships to people who may not have considered that route yet. For most of these websites you will need to pay a fee to advertise your vacancy. 

Recruitment Agencies 

You can also use recruitment agencies to find ideal candidates for your apprenticeship role. These agencies will often help you filter out irrelevant candidates so that you can spend your time interviewing the best-suited individuals. As with job sites, recruitment agencies often charge a fee to search for eligible candidates.  

Total People Connect 

Connect is our own apprentice recruitment service, free to any businesses who plan to use us as their apprenticeship training provider. We combine the best elements of all apprentice recruitment techniques to help you find the best candidate for your apprenticeship.  

We will post your vacancy on the National Apprenticeship Service website, on our own website as well as across our digital network of social media profiles, industry connections and mailing lists. Our recruitment experts will then vet all the candidates so you can choose from the very best.  

Do employers get paid to recruit an apprentice? 

The government regularly offers financial incentives to businesses looking to recruit an apprentice. Currently, employers can receive £1,000 for apprentices who are: 

• Aged 16-18 and newly recruited 
• Aged 19-24, is newly recruited and has an EHC plan or has been defined as a ‘child in care’ 
• Until November 2021 you can also receive an additional £3,000 for hiring an apprentice of any age.  

Does it cost employers anything to recruit an apprentice? 

It is free for employers to list an apprenticeship on the National Apprenticeship Service website and via Total People’s Connect service. Recruitment costs would only apply to employers listing their apprenticeship vacancy on job sites or with recruitment agencies. 

Once hired, apprentice wages must be paid for by the company while training costs will come out of the funds in the Apprenticeship Service Account.  

How long do apprenticeships last? 

Apprenticeships must last at least a year but may go on for up to five years depending on the level of qualification that will be achieved upon completion. 

Why should I hire an apprentice? 

Hiring an apprentice is a great way to bridge skills gaps within your business, oversee the development of practical skills in new hires, and future proof your business with well-trained employees. You can find out more reasons in our blog - The benefits of apprenticeships schemes for employers.  

Who can recruit an apprentice? 

Any business or sole trader registered with the HMRC can recruit an apprentice. If you’re not registered with the HMRC, you’ll need to do so first or you’ll have to recruit your apprentice through an Apprenticeship Training Agency (ATA) who will employ them on your behalf.   

We make it easy for you to recruit an apprentice by designing bespoke recruitment plans and shortlisting support to suit your specific needs. We can help you find the ideal apprenticeship for your business so find out more about our apprenticeship recruitment service or call our team on 03333 222 666.