Apprenticeships in England:
everything a new employer needs
Every official link, tool, rule and video worth knowing — organised in the order you’ll actually need them. Start at step one, or jump straight to funding.
Researched 15 August 2026 · England only · — links and — videos, all verified live
01The seven-step journey
This is the path the Department for Education sets out for employers. Most people get stuck between steps 3 and 4 — that’s where a training provider does the heavy lifting for you.
02The numbers that matter
Current as of August 2026. These change often — the linked source is always the authority.
03The link library
Search or filter by what you’re trying to do. Everything marked Official is a government source.
04Watch this first
All verified live in August 2026. The Department for Education runs the best free employer webinar series in the sector — most people don’t know it exists.
- How do apprenticeships work — 5 minutes, explains the model.
- Connecting Greater Numbers of SMEs with Apprenticeships — the whole thing from a small employer’s point of view.
- Employers: A live walkthrough of The Apprenticeship Service — see the actual system you’ll be using.
05Rules at a glance
The obligations that catch new employers out. None of them are onerous — but all of them are checked.
Apprentice pay — National Minimum Wage from 1 April 2026
| Who | Minimum hourly rate | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Apprentice under 19 | £8.00 | Apprentice rate applies |
| Apprentice 19+, in year 1 | £8.00 | Apprentice rate applies |
| Apprentice 19–20, after year 1 | £10.85 | Moves to the age-based rate |
| Apprentice 21+, after year 1 | £12.71 | Moves to the age-based rate |
These are floors, not targets. Most employers pay above them — underpaying an apprentice is one of the most common NMW enforcement findings. Check current rates
- A real job. The apprentice is an employee with a contract, holiday, and the same rights as anyone else on your payroll.
- An apprenticeship agreement and training plan, signed by you, the apprentice and the provider. Templates are free on GOV.UK.
- Minimum 8 months’ duration (reduced from 12 months on 1 August 2025), and at least 187 hours of off-the-job training as an absolute floor — each standard sets its own higher minimum.
- Paid time to train, during working hours. Off-the-job training happens on the clock, not in their own time.
- English and maths — required for anyone aged 16–18 at the start. Since February 2025, not required for those aged 19+ at the start.
- Reasonable adjustments for disabled apprentices, plus support with progress reviews roughly every 8–12 weeks.
06What changed in 2025–26
If an employer read a guide written before 2025, several things they “know” are now wrong. These are the corrections.
07Where to get help from a human
Free, government-funded, and genuinely useful.
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