Apprenticeship Wage Subsidy Programme

 

As part of our ‘Inverclyde Works’ initiative, the Council is pleased to be able to support employers in their recruitment of Inverclyde residents into new apprenticeship posts.

If you have a new apprenticeship role, you may be able to receive up to a maximum of £10,000 towards the wage costs for the first 52 weeks of the post.  The Wage Subsidy amount will be calculated at 70% of the hourly rate for a period of up to 52 weeks, or to £10,000, whichever comes first.

Our financial commitment is a one off contribution to the overall costs of employing a local person into an Apprenticeship and does not recur during the ongoing years of the apprenticeship.  Therefore, as the employer you will be responsible for the full wage beyond the end of the subsidy period.

The subsidy is payable 4 weekly/monthly in arrears on evidence of the actual Net wage having been paid to the employee from the employer. No payments will be approved until all of the required paperwork evidencing payment of the relevant wage has been received. No cash wage payments can be supported.

Approval of a Wage Subsidy is at the sole discretion of the Council.  With a limited number of subsidies available, no guarantee is given that an employer application will be approved, however we will aim to get a decision to you within 7 working days of submission of the required paperwork.

Full details of the Programme can be found on the Information Sheet in the Documents section of this page.

Key Points to Note

  1. Private/third sector employers of any size can be supported, however the emphasis is on small/medium sized companies (less than 250 employees) based in Inverclyde.
  2. Contracted hours must be for a minimum of 25 hours per week and sufficient to enable apprenticeship to be undertaken.  Zero hour contracts are not eligible. 
  3. Preference will be given to posts that are permanent, however if a fixed term contract is offered it must be of sufficient duration to enable completion of the relevant Apprenticeship qualification, and not less than 18 months.  The employer will be required to provide a copy of the contract of employment/terms and conditions of employment prior to the first wage subsidy payment being processed. 
  4. From the start date of the apprenticeship, you must pay at least the current National Minimum Wage (NMW) relevant to the age of the apprentice.  Where there is an age increase during the apprenticeship, the appropriate wage increase must be applied.  We will not support apprenticeships where only the national apprenticeship rate is being paid. The current NMW rate can be found here National Minimum Wage and National Living Wage rates - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
  5. The employer will be required to provide evidence of enrolment with a relevant approved Training Provider for delivery of the Apprenticeship qualification.
  6. The Apprenticeship post must be additional to the existing workforce and must not be replacing a redundant employee. 
  7. The person being employed must be an Inverclyde resident who is unemployed/unwaged (no minimum length), or who is in employment, not currently undertaking an Apprenticeship moving to a job that will increase their salary and/or hours.
  8. An eligible person must have a legal right to live and work in the UK.

How to Apply

Applications must be made at least three weeks prior to the anticipated start date of employment in order for assessment to be undertaken and notification of the outcome issued to the employer.

1. Employers should send an e-mail to wagesubsidyprogramme@inverclyde.gov.uk requesting an Employer Application Form.  In the e-mail, you must provide at least the following information:

  • Organisation Name
  • Company Address
  • Nature of Business
  • Apprenticeship Post Title
  • Apprenticeship Qualification the Apprentice will undertake
  • Contracted Hours Per Week
  • Hourly Rate
  • Permanent or Fixed Term Contract (if fixed term, state duration)
  • Anticipated Employment Start Date
  • Current Number of Full Time Employees (Including Directors) i.e. contracted for 35 hours or more per week
  • Current Number of Part Time Employees (Including Directors) i.e. contracted for less than 35 hours per week

2.  If we are able to support the post we will issue an Employer Application form which must be returned before we can   provide formal notification of the outcome of the application.  At this stage, we will also provide a Candidate Application form.

3.  Once you have identified a suitable candidate, please complete the Candidate Application and Candidate Characteristics Form and submit it, along with the evidence documentation (as described in the Information Sheet) and return to wagesubsidyprogramme@inverclyde.gov.uk .  We aim to respond within 10 working days.

4.  A formal Offer of Financial Support will be issued once all candidate evidence paperwork has been provided.

5.  Any enquiries regarding the Apprenticeship Wage Subsidy Programme, and/or any application documentation, must be submitted directly to the Council by the Employer or Candidate, and not via a third party.

6.  No hardcopy applications are being accepted at this time, all submissions must be emailed.

 

If you are unsure if an apprenticeship is available for the role you have in mind, please e-mail wagesubsidyprogramme@inverclyde.gov.uk with details of the role and we will get back to you to advise if there is a suitable Modern Apprenticeship qualification and which training providers offer it.

 

If you would like help to recruit into your apprentice role, please contact the Employability & Skills Team at employabilityandskills@inverclyde.gov.uk or on 01475 715566 / 01475 715563.

 

 

These activities are part-funded by the UK government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF), by Scottish Government through No One Left Behind (NOLB) funds and by Inverclyde Council.