 Have you thought about how apprenticeships could work at your school? Apprenticeships are not just for new recruits, they also provide a cost-effective training route for existing employees. There are many relevant apprenticeships that can develop and grow the skills your school needs now and into the future. They can meet the training needs of your school from entry level jobs through to professional occupations, supported by a degree level qualification, and some even lead to a membership of a chartered institute. The length will vary depending on the chosen apprenticeship and the hours worked. So if you work part-time it will take longer to complete. As with any training, the apprentice will need time to put their skills into action. A quality apprenticeship means 20% of working time must be spent on learning the skills, knowledge and behaviours required. There are a variety of activities which cover this. Take Mark who is studying a teaching assistant apprenticeship. His trainer comes into the school and delivers one-to-one training. Mark's trainer meets him once a month and we give him time whilst he's at work to put his learning into practice. The results are great as Mark develops his understanding his confidence grows, he's becoming one of our best teaching assistants. Schools that pay the apprenticeship levy have their funds transferred to a digital account which the government tops up. This account automatically makes monthly payments to the training provider throughout the length of the course. Schools that do not pay the levy will pay 5% of the cost and the government pays 95%. The training provider will invoice the school for their contribution. In a short space of time our apprentices have become valued members of our team, both by our staff and pupils. I often receive positive feedback from service users. I would definitely advise schools to work with the council apprenticeship team. Talk to your apprenticeship team to find out more about school apprenticeships and to identify our approved training providers.