Is funding different in Wales?

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Is funding different in Wales?

While you as the employer pay your apprentices a wage, the same as in the rest of the UK, the Welsh Government pays for most of their training – with help from the European Social Fund.  £25 million of European funding has been agreed to support the continuation of Jobs Growth Wales over the next three years.

Funding is agreed locally with each employer and you may be required to contribute towards some of the training costs. You need to decide what pay your apprentice will earn, there is a minimum wage for apprentices.

The Young Recruits Programme

The Young Recruits Programme (YRP) is an all-Wales programme that provides financial support to employers offering additional high quality apprenticeship programmes to recruit and train young apprentices through an approved Shared Apprenticeship Programme.

A wage subsidy of £2,600 over 52 weeks (paid in instalments of £50 per week) will be paid to employers, subject to the eligibility criteria and evidential requirements being met. YRP is also available to employers to support apprentices entering learning immediately following Jobs Growth Wales who are able to access an enhanced wage subsidy (£50 per week for 26 weeks).

The programme can benefit small and medium sized employers working in partnership to offer additional apprenticeship opportunities where there is a need to maintain a highly skilled workforce.

To be eligible, employers must:

- Be able to offer full time additional apprenticeship place, i.e. a minimum of 25 hours including time with the provider.

- Ensure that apprentices are paid the appropriate minimum wage for apprentices (or any other National Minimum Wage regulation that may apply).

To be eligible, learners must:

- Either, be progressing from the Jobs Growth Wales programme to an apprenticeship programme with the same employer, or be a shared apprentice approved by the Welsh Government under their shared apprenticeship protocol

- Be between the ages of 16 and 24 at time of Application

- Be living and/or working in Wales

- Have been employed by the applicant for no longer than 10 weeks at time of application

- Be enrolled upon a level 2/3 apprenticeship framework with a Welsh Government-contracted work based learning provider.

For more information about setting up apprenticeships in Wales, visit here.

Read more:

Are apprenticeships different in Wales?

Apprenticeships: regional implications

Recruiting school leavers? We can help