Five HR tips on managing apprentices

CIPD HR-inform. Croner-i

Stacie Cheadle, technical writer at Croner-i, looks at the practicalities of employing an apprentice and key HR issues employers need to consider.

As a distinct kind of employment relationship, employing an apprentice comes with a greater degree of requirements and responsibilities than other employees. Taking on the training and guiding of an individual through an apprenticeship requires particular skills and capabilities.

1. Inductions should be specially tailored

All new starters should go through a period of induction and that includes apprentices. However, how this induction unfolds may well be different to what happens for other employees.

To start, this may be the apprentice’s first job, in which case they will have no experience of what to expect and will not necessarily have the confidence to ask questions. Or they may already be experienced in the industry and looking to take their career further. Whatever the case, a ‘one size fits all’ induction is unlikely to fit the bill.

Inductions help the apprentice settle into the business and make them feel comfortable in their new surroundings. They are an opportunity to provide an overview of the role and how it fits into the wider organisation and provide practical guidance on working life. They are also a time for introductions to the key people and teams they will be working with and where to go if they need to ask questions.

Alongside that, there are the special things that make the job role an apprenticeship, including the off-the-job training and the in-work time needed for learning and developing. This will all need to be worked out before, and as the apprentice joins the organisation, and adds an extra level of complexity.

Good management and supervision will help them to develop more quickly, but it’s likely to be at a more in-depth level than for a standard employee. Managers in charge of apprentices will need training and support in developing the additional skills needed. The apprentice’s manager should set clear work plans, provide informal coaching, ongoing feedback and evaluate tasks undertaken to aid the apprentice’s development.

2. Mandatory off-the-job training

In England and Wales, apprentices must spend at least 20% of their employed time in off-the-job training, usually provided by a training provider in an external setting. For new starters from 1 August 2025, the 20% requirement has been replaced with a new system where an apprentice with no relevant prior learning must receive at least the published volume of off-the-job training hours for the standard.

Off-the-job training is undertaken outside of the normal day-to-day working environment during the practical period. During this teaching, knowledge, skills and behaviours are learned and developed.

Priority should be given to their training by protecting this time to ensure the apprentice gets the most out of it. Practically, this means that any work-related deadlines and expectations should be worked around their training and not the other way around.

3. The duty to make reasonable adjustments

It may be that the apprentice has a disability under the Equality Act 2010. Where this is the case, the duty to make reasonable adjustments applies. This means that any additional needs that the apprentice has should be discussed and assessed, and where reasonable to do so, additional support, time or auxiliary aids may need to be provided to ensure the apprentice can make the most of their time with the business and to avoid legal liability.

4. Applying HR policies and procedures

In England and Wales, legislation means apprentices have standard employment status, and the fair reasons for dismissal apply to them also. This means that normal employment processes can be applied to them and could result in dismissal prior to the end of the apprenticeship where it is fair and reasonable to do so and it is in accordance with the contract of employment.

In Scotland, apprentices are given additional protections preventing their dismissal in all but very limited circumstances. For that reason, usual HR procedures and practices, such as disciplinary and absence management, should be applied differently to Scottish apprentices, as these cannot generally conclude with a dismissal.

5. Thought needs to be given to the time after the apprenticeship

Many apprentices stay with their employer once their apprenticeship has ended, so the investment can result in a committed and valuable employee. For this reason, it is beneficial to tailor the training and learning to ensure the most is made of the opportunity to mould them in a way that the organisation needs in the future.

However, if it is unlikely that they will be offered full-time employment at the end of the apprenticeship, this needs to be discussed with the apprentice in a timely manner to give the apprentice time to plan their next steps without feeling their hard work has been in vain, or a reflection on their abilities.

Takeaway

Apprentices are in a unique position. They have joined the organisation for the specific development opportunities offered through the apprenticeship. There can be lots of opportunities to build on this commitment and care needs to be taken to ensure these aren’t missed.

The aim of the apprenticeship is to have a fully qualified and competent individual at the end of it, and if the goal is to keep them on after the apprenticeship ends, time should be spent on nurturing them to ensure they attain the skills needed by the business.