The Apprenticeship Service (TAS)
Blackburn College UK PRN No. 10000747
If your annual business payroll exceeds £3 million you will pay the Apprenticeship Levy. Full information is available on the Government website.
If you are small employer and have a PAYE scheme then you will also have access to set up an account.
How we can help
We can help you better understand the levy by offering advice and guidance specifically tailored to your business. Our dedicated team can offer you:
- Information on how your business can benefit from the Levy
- Training Needs Analysis
- Apprentice recruitment support
- Workforce development for your existing staff
Why choose Blackburn College?
- Our dedicated Apprenticeship team can provide full recruitment support
- All Apprentices have access to our industry standard training suites or can be trained on your premises
The Apprenticeship Service (TAS) Digital Account
If you are a small employer with a payroll below £3 million, apprenticeship training for individuals aged 16–24 is fully funded by the government. In addition, you may be eligible for incentive payments.
For apprentices aged 25 and over, a 5% employer contribution is required. This contribution is typically payable in full at the start of the apprenticeship.
To access apprenticeship funding, you will need to give Blackburn College permission to add your apprentice to your Apprenticeship Service account.
The Apprenticeship Service has produced a short video to guide you through setting up your account. To do this, you will need to create an account using your PAYE details. Once your account is set up, you will then need to grant us the appropriate permissions for us to add your apprentice.
Apprenticeship Funding and Employer Contributions
The level of funding available to employers towards apprenticeship training costs depends on both the size of the organisation and the age of the apprentice.
Non‑Levy Employers:
- For apprentices aged 16–24, the Government will fund 100% of the training costs.
- For apprentices aged 25 and over, employers are required to contribute 5% of the training costs, with the Government covering the remaining 95%.
Levy Employers:
- Apprenticeship training is funded through the employer’s levy account.
- If there are insufficient funds available, employers will contribute 25% of the monthly training cost, and the Government will fund the remaining 75%.
Additional Incentives
- Employers will receive a £1,000 incentive payment for recruiting an apprentice aged 16–18. Or 19 to 24 with EHCP or care leavers)
- A £2,000 recruitment incentive is available for apprentices aged 16–24 starting from 1 October 2026 if an SME.
- A further £2,000 incentive is available for employers offering a Foundation Apprenticeship to individuals aged 16–21.
- A further £3000 Youth Jobs Grant aged 18-24 is available for employers employing an apprentice who has been on universal credit for over 6 months if an SME.
Further information can be found here.
Important Information
- Employers are responsible for paying their apprentice’s wages in line with national minimum wage requirements.
Helpful videos
Additional support videos are available on the: Apprenticeship Service - webinar recordings
Levy Transfer
Transfers were introduced to give levy-paying employers more flexibility in how they spend their apprenticeship service funds and help larger employers to support smaller employers in taking on apprentices.
Currently employers can transfer up to 50% of their annual funds to other employers to pay for apprenticeship training.
- Levy-paying employers who use the apprenticeship service can now see their transfer allowance in their account.
- If you would like to offer levy transfer to a business please let us know as we can help support you with this.
- The Lancashire Levy Transfer Network was also set up to support you with this.
Need more Information?
We can help your business navigate these important changes and ensure you secure the very best training. Contact us on 01254 292500, email business@blackburn.ac.uk.
Benefits of having an apprentice
Research shows the majority of employers said that Apprentices helped them to improve productivity and to be more competitive. They also said that training Apprentices is more cost effective than hiring skilled staff, leading to lower overall training and recruitment costs.
The benefits of apprenticeships are becoming increasingly obvious to more and more businesses. It’s a fact that apprenticeships develop a motivated, skilled and qualified workforce. Businesses that offer apprenticeships view them as beneficial to their long-term development.
Apprentice National Insurance Exemption - Under 25
Your business can save money and offset The National Insurance Contributions increase in salary costs by hiring an apprentice under 25 and potentially save £1000’s per year. The National Insurance exemption applies to all your apprentices under 25 whether they are new or existing and if they are paid under £967 per week.
Additionally, you can receive a grant of £3,000 for every apprentice aged 16 – 18 you recruit. Additionally, non-levy paying SME’s can also receive 100% funding for training apprentices aged up to 24 on enrolment and 95% funding for apprentices aged 25 and over for example, hiring an apprentice aged 16 – 18 (non-levy paying)
| Salary | NI saving (per year) | Training costs | Additional grants |
| £18,000 | £1,950 | £0 |
£1k (16-18) 19 to 24 with EHCP or care leavers) £2K (16-24) Recruitment £2K (16-21) Foundation Apprenticeship £3K (18-24) if apprentice has been on universal credit for over 6 months |
In summary:
- No National Insurance contributions to pay for apprentices under 25
- You still get a £1,000 grant for every 16 – 18, 19 to 24 with EHCP or care leavers)apprentice you employ
- If you recruit an apprentice aged 16-24 a grant of £2,000 and you are an SME.
- If you recruit a Foundation apprentice aged 16-21 a grant of £2,000
- £3,000 (18-24) if apprentice has been on universal credit for over 6 months
- You get 100% funding for training apprentices aged up to 24
- You get 95% funding for apprentices aged 25 and over.
- The apprentice must be on an approved UK Government apprenticeship standard.
- The apprentice should earn less than £967 a week (£50,270 a year)
- The apprentice still pays Class 1 National Insurance contributions through their salary.
- This exemption only benefits the employer.
Improve your bottom line
Apprentices deliver real returns to your bottom line. In a survey*, the majority of employers said that Apprentices helped them to improve productivity and to be more competitive. They also said that training Apprentices is more cost effective than hiring skilled staff, leading to lower overall training and recruitment costs.
Fill your skill gaps
Apprenticeships deliver skills designed around your business needs. They also help you develop the specialist skills you need to keep pace with the latest technology and working practices in your sector.
Employers in the Populus survey said they relied on their Apprenticeship programmes to provide the skilled workers they need for the future.
Motivate your workforce
Apprentices tend to be eager, motivated, flexible and loyal to the company that invested in them. Remember an Apprentice is with you because they want to be; they have made an informed choice to learn on the job and made a commitment to a specific career.
Long term benefits
Employers have identified a number of long term benefits arising from Apprenticeship training. These include:
- A supply of people with the skills and qualities that businesses require
- A supply of skilled recruits to help businesses grow
- Apprenticeship Frameworks are more practical and job related than other forms of learning
- Apprentices tended to stay and progress within the business
- Employers could support the apprentice with their CPD and career progression which in turn enhances the business
- Teaching apprentices enabled senior staff to consolidate their own knowledge
- According to the British Chambers of Commerce, most employ an apprentice to improve the skills base within their business. They also state that:
- 82% of employers take on apprentices to build the skills capacity within their businesses.
- 75% of apprentice employers say the programme has helped cut recruitment costs. 80% say that apprenticeships will play a bigger part in their future recruitment policy.
- 88% of apprentice employers believe they lead to a more motivated and satisfied workforce, leading to greater loyalty and quality.
- 81% of consumers favour companies that employ apprentices.
- 80% of employers feel that apprenticeships reduce staff turnover.
- 81% of apprentice employers say they make their businesses more productive. The average apprenticeship completer increases business productivity by £214 per week.
How to advertise and recruit an apprentice
Blackburn College has built an excellent reputation for delivering high quality apprenticeships across a variety of sectors. We pride ourselves on our excellent apprenticeship success rates and the work we do with employers and learners in industry. We are constantly working to offer new and exciting career paths by introducing new apprenticeship Standards to meet increasing demand from businesses.
If you are interested in taking on an apprentice, it would be worthwhile contacting the Apprenticeship team to discuss training programmes available and any particular requirements you may have. We will need to check your details covering health and safety in the workplace and equal opportunities as we have to ensure all people undertaking an apprenticeship are in a safe and secure working environment.
Can I get help recruiting a suitable apprentice?
Yes, once we receive a completed vacancy form, we will upload this to our website and the Find an Apprenticeship site. The Apprenticeship team manage the applications and invite applicants to college to undertake an initial assessment and interview.
We will provide them with more information about the your job role and answer any questions they may have. We will then send applicants CVs out to you for review and shortlist, when you have made your selection we will arrange interviews at a date and time to suit your business. We offer this as a free service for those employers that want to us to support recruitment of their apprentice, all we ask is that when we successfully recruit for you that you us as your apprentices training provider.
Please contact the Apprenticeship team on 01254 292500 or apprenticeships@blackburn.ac.uk for any advice or support in completing the below vacancy form.
Useful links and documents
- An Employer's Guide to Apprenticeships
- An Employer's Guide to Higher Apprenticeships
- Apprenticeships Available
- Employer Safeguarding Leaflet
Employer Funding
What funding is available to an employer towards training costs?
Funding varies depending on whether your business is an Apprenticeship Levy Payer – If you are, then you can use your Levy money to fund the Apprenticeship training through your Digital Apprenticeship Service Account (TAS).
If you don’t pay the levy then you may be eligible for full funding or be asked to make a 5% contribution towards the cost of the training.
To find out more about the funding available, please refer to the apprenticeship levy section at the top of this page or contact us directly on 01254 29500 and we’ll be happy to advise you.
Get in Touch
To discuss your specific requirements for training courses or to take on an Apprentice email business@blackburn.ac.uk or call 01254 292500.
