Apprenticeship expectations - help

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Can anyone help with info about apprenticeships?

My DS (18) has been offered an Apprenticeship to start once he finishes college. He’s been sent a contract from the employer which seems like a standard employment contract - ie no mention of any specific details relating to the apprenticeship.

What else should he be receiving? I think some sort of agreement from the college who are offering the apprenticeship detailing the expectations and info about the 1 day a week training part of it?

He’s accepted the role but I’m reluctant for him to sign this contract without further info about the apprenticeship side of it. At the moment the contract just says £16k a year for a 40hr week and 28 days holiday. I want to make sure it’s done properly.

Ant advice on what we should do next? Im
planning on calling the college tomorrow to try and speak to someone, but I’ve also suggested he emails the workplace with a list of queries. Although I don’t think they’ve had an apprentice before so I’m not sure they know how it works at this stage !

There will be onboarding for the apprenticeship where they will check his eligibility, functional Skills and sign a Training Plan. The apprenticeship agreement will confirm how his training will take place, which level and how long it will last.

Thank you. And this all would come from the college rather than the employer ? They don’t seem to know these details. They said they’re waiting for the college to get back to them.

I've got an apprentice at work and they have a standard contract of employment alongside their apprenticeship agreement through the college. They are allowed to work no more than 37 hours a week (excluding breaks) but have to have a minimum of 7 hours on or off site to do their college work. Normal holiday leave rules apply for 28 days including bank holidays.

Thank you, that’s helpful.

His contract is for 7.75 hours day (so 38.75 a week) which is too much then? The hour lunch unpaid is on top of this. Seems like a long day (8:45 - 17:30)

I think we need to get the apprenticeship agreement from the college asap to see what the expectations are with the college work and when he does this. This presumably is a day a week all year round and not just term time?

Our apprentices do a 7.75hr day.

https://www.apprenticeships.gov.uk/apprentices/about-apprenticeships

This explains the training requirements. 20% of his time needs to be spent studying or training.

Are breaks on top of that? What hours do they work?

Thank you. I’ll have read

Compulsory 1hr unpaid lunch, 1-2pm.
Hours agreed in the first few weeks, can start from 8am to 9.15am so finish 4.45pm to 6pm. Can flex with agreement but basically expected to nominate the start time they want and stick to it.
Accountancy firm.

Thanks for explaining. And for their day to do college work is this off site? Either in college or remote? All year round or term time only ?

Accountancy is slightly different as the dates are set around the professional exam dates.
We use external providers and typically they'll do a 3-5 day block of learning, plus another 3-5 day block of revision then the exam.
AAT are more usually day release but again in block, so 3-7 weeks of 1 day a week then and exam, then a break, then another one starts.

Learning is in a classroom situation at the provider's premises.

Hi, Iam doing an apprenticeship through work so slightly different, but I have my work contract that has not changed and then an agreement with the training provider and my line manager for the apprenticeship side of things. The training provider checked if I had a grade c in English and maths , and my employer had to confirm they would allow me 1 day a week to study, 1 day a month I have in-house training. The people on my apprenticeship who did not have there gcse in maths/ English or could not find there certificates had to take a functional skill in them and have a separate tutor for them.

Thank you, that’s helpful to know. He has maths and English GCSE already.

It seems like we just need to wait for the college to confirm the apprenticeship agreement and clarification of the one day a week training.

It very much depends on the type of apprenticeship. I work in the apprenticeship industry and like someone else says, the type of apprentices I work with are tied to professional membership exam sittings so they tend to have blocks of a few weeks where they will be on study leave ahead of an exam sitting, then they might have several months of no contact study time. It should however equal out across the year to 20% of their time is spent studying.

My brother did an engineering apprenticeship.
He used to be 1 day per week in college in term time. During the holidays, he still used to get the day release from work and he spent it doing 'logbooks' which were like a portfolio of what he had been learning to show the skills and behaviours he was developing.

He will just have a standard employment contract (might look different from one employer to another) and then the apprenticeship contract will come from the training provider and will explain how his 'off the job hours' ie study hours are split.

If you aren't sure if the learning hours are right, worth looking at the ESFA funding rules to check what they need to do but chances are, if they are using a training provider / college it will be correct!

Thank you. This is all helpful information.

I’ve contacted the college today and I’m waiting for someone to get back to me