If you’re thinking about hiring apprentices, there are two ways to go.  

You can either work with a professional training provider who’ll deliver the apprenticeship for you, or you can become an employer-provider and deliver the training yourself. Becoming an employer-provider is a great way to develop your staff, maintain quality training and make the most of your levy – but it’s not all sunshine and rainbows.  

There’s a lot to consider, so we’ve weighed up the pros and cons to make your decision easier: 

The pros 

Keep skills in house 

As an employer-provider, your team is responsible for managing apprenticeship funding, delivering training, supporting learners and maintaining quality. You staff will have all the skills to manage the entire apprenticeship process, so knowledge is kept in house.   

Customise training to your company needs 

As an employer-provider, there are no third parties involved, so you can do things your way. You can customise content around your business objectives, control quality and plan training around your company needs. You're likely to have training resources and company documents you can use. 

Make the most of your levy  

If you’re a levy-payer, becoming an employer-provider will help you make the most of your levy. You’ll be in control of the whole apprenticeship process – from funding to quality – so you can maximise efficiency at every stage. You also won’t have to negotiate delivery prices with training providers, as you’ll be delivering cost-effective training in house. And unlike many companies, your levy won’t get forgotten about. You’ll have a whole team dedicated to apprenticeships, who’ll be responsible for maximising your funds.  

The cons 

The costs 

You can’t become an employer-provider for free. You’ll need to hire quality specialists, admin staff, and tutors – or you can invest in training to upskill your existing staff. It’s not cheap, but it will increase your workforce’s skillset.  

Maintaining quality  

As an employer-provider, you’ll need to prioritise quality. You’ll be visited by Ofsted within your first year of delivery, so you’ll need the right tools, people and processes in place before you start delivering apprenticeships. Using a learning software is the easiest way to manage quality as the full audit trail is recorded online.  

Keeping on top of regulation  

As with any type of government-led programme, apprenticeship regulations are prone to change. You’ll need to nominate a member of staff to keep on top of legislation and make sure you’re always compliant.  

 

There's a lot to think about, but when it works, becoming an employer-provider is the most effective way to spend your apprenticeship levy.  

If you’ve decided to go for it and become an employer-provider, there are a few things to consider. You’ll need to think about planning, funding, delivery and quality, and apply for the register of apprenticeship training providers (RoATP).  

To find out exactly how to become an employer-provider, download our free guide. It covers everything you need to know – from applying to the RoATP to planning, funding and delivery.