Degree level apprenticeships (England)

1-6 years. Typically 3-5 years for a Bachelor’s degree.

Type: wage paid by company; fixed amount per month
Remuneration setting: centrally, share of the national minimum wage
Coverage: on- and off-the-job training
Variation(s): by the year of apprenticeship and age of the apprentice

More than 50% of the overall duration of apprenticeship

Provisional (informal training): Regulation specifies that at least 20% of the apprentice’s time in employment must be spent on off-the-job training. This is likely to be more in science, engineering and technology based courses. There is no specification on the number of hours to be spent on on-the-job training, like for intermediate and advanced apprenticeships. On-the job-or work-based learning will occur in the remainder of the time as apprentice will apply what they have learnt. It may be up to 80% of the apprentice’s time in employment, particularly if the apprenticeship foresees different work-based placements. Taking into account holidays that would equate to up to maximum of around 1440 hour - actual figures on the number of hours for on-the-job training are not available.

Paid by: the employer and the apprentice
Rights: Health, pension, unemployment, annual leave, maternity leave, if applicable.

Apprentice remuneration is paid by employers. In certain cases, national insurance contributions are paid by the state (see Abolition of employer national insurance contributions for apprentices under the age of 21 and 25 respectively (Reduction of secondary Class 1 NICs for apprentices)

Degree level Apprenticeships include both SASE Apprenticeship Frameworks and Apprenticeship Standards. Apprenticeship Frameworks are currently being phased out and should be replaced by Apprenticeship Standards by 2020. At the time of this research, most apprentices in Degree level Apprenticeshop were predominantly on Apprenticeship Standards.

Apprenticeship Frameworks and Apprenticeship Standards attract different forms of co-funding (see grant for companies '16-18, 19-23, and 24+ and employer contributions; as of 2017: employer co-funding')

As of May 2017 funding has changed again as an Apprenticeship levy was introduced. Funding is now irrespective of whether it is an Apprenticeship Standard or Apprenticeship Framework. Levy payers pay the training in full through the levy. If apprenticeship funding exceeds their levy, different rules apply. For non-levy paying companies the government co-invests 90% of off-the-job training and the employer 10% up to the set funding band limit.
Additional rules and regulations apply.

It has been argued that the grant system in place until May 2017 was too supply or provider-led. Grants were set by the Skills Funding Agency according to the costs calculated to deliver the training. The training funds were allocated to training providers who promoted their offers. Employers had little or no input into the type of training they may require apart from choosing from a range of apprenticeship frameworks. Although employer-co-funding was in place, some providers may have found ways to offer the training at no charge to the employer (Richards Review, 2011). Others have argued that the funding system encouraged training providers to provide short and low-level apprenticeships (Wolf, 2015)

The new system gives more power to the employer and encourages negotiation of training packages that meet employers’ needs at an agreed price. The state will meet training costs up to a set maximum price, with any price above this limit having to be met solely by the employer.

Statutory minimum wage: EUR 1,447.07 per month (2016, S2), EUR 1,393.4 (2017, S1), EUR 1,413.58 (2017,S2)
Average yearly working time (hours) for a full time job: 1,679.80