The Employer Journey

The first step is for employers to submit their interest to the appropriate contact at the university:

• Loughborough Business School
  • Vicki Unwin, V.E.Unwin@lboro.ac.uk, 01509 222160
• Wolfson School of Mechanical, Electrical and Manufacturing Engineering
  • Carole Smith, C.E.Smith@lboro.ac.uk, 01509 228692
• Academic Registry
  • Ben James, B.James@lboro.ac.uk, 01509 222821

Your enquiry/submission of interest will be dealt with by the relevant person within the university, and you’ll be sent an Employer Eligibility Declaration form. You will be asked to provide, amongst other things, the workplace location, the number of overall employees, and details of health & safety and insurance policies. 

This will need to be completed in full by an appropriate person at the company, returned as soon as possible, and will allow the university to deduce whether you are eligible to receive apprenticeship funding.

The university also reserves the right to conduct credit checks via CreditSafe as part of the eligibility process.

Part of your apprentice/s’ eligibility process includes the completion of a Skills Scan – a tool designed to identify their suitability for the programme by examining what knowledge, skills, and behaviours (KSBs) they already possess.

Each apprenticeship is designed with a set of industry defined KSBs in mind which set out what an apprentice will need to learn and demonstrate in order to be deemed occupationally competent enough to pass their end-point assessment.

If a prospective apprentice already possesses some of these KSBs, either as a result of academic qualifications, or on-the-job training they’ve already received in the workplace, this prior learning will need to be properly recognised. As the employer, you play a very important part in this, and will need to provide input into the Skills Scan process to:

• verify what the apprentice has said in terms of their workplace experience (where appropriate), and
• agree the outcome of the Skills Scan in terms of how any recognised prior learning results in a reduction in the need for training

In addition to its impact on the training plan, the acknowledgement of prior learning often results in a reduced price for employers – reinforcing its importance from a financial, as well as academic perspective.

The following 'sign-up' documentation is required of any English apprenticeship, and will require your review, input (where appropriate), and signature before your apprentice(s) can start their programme 

• Apprenticeship Agreement – this is an agreement between the employer and apprentice, in accordance with section A1 of the Apprenticeships, Skills, Children and Learning Act 2009, which sets out the 'core' details of the apprenticeship. It must be signed and completed by both parties before it can be considered valid, and before the apprenticeship can begin.
• Training Plan – this document sets out a number of things, including but not limited to the names and details of all relevant parties, the apprenticeship particulars (name, level, duration), the volume of off-the-job hours the apprentice is required to complete, and the details of any training/content they are to receive. This document must also be agreed, and ideally signed, before any training is delivered.

Details of how and when your input will be required will be clearly communicated to you by the apprenticeships team.

The final step before an apprentice can start their training is the completion of an industry standard bilateral contract for services, to be populated and signed by the employer and training provider.

This document sets out the terms and conditions of a valid apprenticeship, as well as the relevant stakeholder details and the price for the total cost of training and assessment.

In the event that the Training Services Agreement needs to be updated throughout the apprenticeship (e.g. as a result of a material change in circumstances), a new version of the contract will need to be signed and retained by all parties. Any such changes should also be accompanied by a 'Letter of Variation', to be supplied by the apprenticeships team, in accordance with Loughborough University rules and regulations.

Once on programme, apprentices should be actively supported by their employers in a number of ways, including but not limited to the following: 

• Mentoring – workplace mentors are instrumental in guiding their mentees through the apprenticeship programme, oftentimes providing much needed clarity regarding the responsibilities of the role, offering advice based on their own experience, celebrating the successes of the apprentice, and sharing in the goal setting/goal reaching responsibilities of the line manager and training provider.
• Progress reviews – regular tripartite progress reviews are a mandatory fixture of a compliant and effective apprenticeship and should be attended wherever reasonably possible by representatives of the 3 main stakeholders involved in the delivery of the programme. They’re essential in not only ensuring the apprentice is making the desired progress, but also that all parties are contributing as they should be.
• Well-being – If an apprentice is struggling with mental health, it is important they they’re made aware of the Work Mental Health Support Service for Apprentices service, which gives them access to experts in mental health who will guide and support them appropriately.