Flexi-Job Apprenticeships

Some sectors with flexible employment patterns and short-term roles have previously found it harder to take an apprentice on.

Apprenticeships help young people secure great careers. But at the moment they don’t suit all industries in the same way.

Apprenticeships are at least 12 months long, and apprentices need guaranteed employment and pay for that whole period. The new scheme will put an end to this by using agencies that can act as employers and place apprentices on projects in different companies.

Almost £5 million has been awarded by the government to support employers including the BBC and NHS to offer the flexi-job apprenticeship scheme and support recruitment of apprentices.

Now an apprentice hired by the BBC will be able to work with several production companies in short term roles during their apprenticeship, while an apprentice working in construction could fulfil several contracts – such as working on both home refurbishments and bigger infrastructural projects – and earn while they learn.

The announcement, which coincides with National Apprenticeship Week, forms part of plans to increase apprenticeship numbers in key sectors such as healthcare, construction, and the creative industry.

What else are DfE doing to increase the numbers of people taking up apprenticeships?

The flexible apprenticeship scheme is just one of several steps the Government has taken to support employers to offer more apprenticeship opportunities.

These have included offering cash incentives for employers hiring new apprentices and making it easier than ever for large employers to transfer unused levy funds to smaller businesses – allowing more employers to benefit from the skills and productivity apprentices can bring to their business.