Dealer Information

Recruiting an Apprentice is a long term commitment for your business and for the Apprentice. It is important to consider several issues when thinking about taking on an Apprentice, including

What’s your current ratio of Technicians to Apprentices?

Do you have enough qualified staff to be able to give your Apprentices the help they will need to develop their own skills?

Do you have enough qualified Technicians to satisfy the growing demands of your customers?

What’s the age profile of your current Technicians?

The motor industry faces potentially severe staff shortages as the skilled population ages. You need to make sure you have enough Technicians to replace people as they retire. As a general guide, most motor manufacturers recommend a ratio of one Apprentice for every three qualified Technicians.

If a qualified Technician were to leave how would you replace them?

Advertising is very expensive, as is offering increased salaries to attract Technicians from other brands. Although recruiting and training Apprentices calls for a significant investment of time and money, it is almost always cheaper in the long run to train your own staff than to recruit from outside, or even worse, to have to turn away work because you do not have enough qualified Technicians.

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The level of funding available from the Government to support training varies according to the age of an Apprentice when they start. Apprentices aged between 16-18 attract the maximum amount of funding support. The DAF programme is funded on the basis of the vast majority of new recruits being 16-17 year olds.

When interviewing potential Apprentices you look for the following attributes as a minimum:

A real commitment to learning.

Working and studying at the same time is a tough task so has this applicant got what it takes to get through three years of study?

Do they realise they will have to spend up to 10 weeks every year away from home at college and do they feel ready to do this?

These are young people, are there any signs their family are committed to helping them through their studies?

A real interest in the sector.

Applicants who are really committed to working with vehicles will have tried to find themselves relevant work experience before they apply. Try to find out what they have done and what they have learned from it.

Good people skills.

Technicians talk to customers every day and although Apprentices will develop their communication skills during their studies, they should be able to demonstrate at the interview an ability to communicate about the things they have done, their likes and dislikes and their aspirations for the future.

A level of academic achievement.

Achieving an Advanced Apprenticeship qualification calls for excellent technical skills and the ability to deal with far greater academic detail. Applicants should have, or be expecting, the equivalent of at least three GCSE or equivalent grades A-C, including English and Maths. There will also be other attributes that are important to you as an employer; honesty and integrity, the ability to adapt to new situations and a flexible approach to work are all key elements of a successful Technician.

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Apprentices under the age of 19 are not entitled to the National Minimum Wage. Apprentices over 19 who have completed one full year of their Apprenticeship are entitled to the National Minimum Wage for their age group. A detailed guide to the National Minimum Wage is available from www.legislation.gov.uk

The Government Agency defines a minimum wage for full-time Apprentices. An up to date figure for this can be obtained by contacting your Skillnet representative. You should however consider what a competitive weekly wage is for Apprentices in your area. “Poor wages during training” is the most commonly cited reason for Apprentices leaving the industry during their first year of training. Your Skillnet assessor will be able to advise you on the rates paid in your area. Apprentices under the age of 18 can work a maximum of 40 hours in any week.

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We strongly encourage all employers to appoint a specific workplace mentor that Apprentices can go to to discuss any part of the training or any concerns they have about their work.

Although the Skillnet Assessor will offer support and guidance throughout the course of their qualification, Apprentices benefit from having access to someone based in their workplace who they can work with. Skillnet can offer specific training to support these workplace mentors.

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