Apprenticeship funding
Grants are available to help with the extra cost, resource and time involved in recruiting and training apprentices
Recruiting apprentices and funding their education represents a commitment by employers to support the next generation of construction specialists. There are a number of incentives and grants to make the process even easier financially and we can advise you on the most appropriate funding options based on your learners’ prior experience and/or qualifications.
Apprenticeship Levy
The Apprenticeship Levy is a government initiative to fund apprenticeship training and support workforce development, payable by all qualifying companies in England. Your company may be able to recoup the cost of the apprenticeship through your payments or by reserving Levy funds if you don't pay the Apprenticeship Levy yourself.
This is different to the CITB levy, which you can find out more about below.
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The Apprenticeship Levy only applies to organisations with an annual UK pay bill over £3 million. It’s calculated based on total payroll and the percentage of employees living in England. Many employers will not pay the levy but can still benefit from government funding to support the cost of apprenticeship training.
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Employers who do not pay the Apprenticeship Levy but want to invest in apprenticeships can still access significant government support. Non-Levy paying employers benefit from 'co-investment'. This is calculated based on the government investing 95% of the cost of apprenticeship training and the employer contributing 5%. Dependant on the size of the company and the age of the apprentice, some employers may be entitled to 100% funding and no contribution cost.
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To be eligible for Apprenticeship Levy funding your apprentice must:
- have the right to live and work in England and spend at least 50% of their working week in England
- be employed on a full-time, permanent contract that lasts for the duration of the apprenticeship, including the End Point Assessment
- commit to all apprenticeship requirements, including off-the-job training
- not be enrolled on another Department for Education funded programme or using a student loan to pay for the apprenticeship
- not hold a prior qualification at the same or higher level, which is similar to the apprenticeship
- demonstrate they will gain new skills and knowledge, with clear evidence of learning and progress throughout the programme.
Department for Education (DfE) funding
To recognise the potential extra cost, resource and time involved in recruiting and retaining younger apprentices, the Department for Education (DfE) will pay £1000 per apprentice if they are:
- aged 16-18 at the start of their apprenticeship
- aged 19-24 and on a Local Authority Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP)
- aged 19-24 and have been in the care of a Local Authority.
Incentive payments of £500 at 90 days and £500 at 12 months on programme are made to NHBC as your training provider but will be passed on to your company within 30 days of receipt.
More information on DfE funding and eligibility is available here.
CITB grants
If your company is a CITB Levy payer or eligible to receive CITB grant payments, you can claim:
- £2,500 per year for attendance whilst completing the apprenticeship, up to a maximum duration defined within each apprenticeship. This grant is payable every 13 weeks.
- £3,500 achievement grant on successful completion of the full apprenticeship.
CITB will also fund 80% of accommodation costs for eligible apprentices of grant eligible employers who attend colleges or training providers where overnight stays and travel to and from a hotel to a place of training are required.
Employers can also claim excess costs for apprentice travel where the cost exceeds £20 per week.
To safeguard apprentices and achieve volume booking discounts, accommodation is sourced by CITB’s approved hotel provider. Accommodation is booked on a dinner, bed and breakfast basis.
Accommodation funding and/or travel costs can only be claimed for apprentices employed by CITB registered, grant eligible employers in England, Scotland and Wales.
More information and current CITB rates are available here or contact your local CITB representative via newentrant.team@citb.co.uk
Enquire about our apprenticeship programmes
Please get in touch if you’d like to discuss hiring an apprentice and working with us as your training provider. We will respond to you within three working days.
Contact us for more information
If you would like more information, please use the contact form or call our training team.
Monday to Friday, 09:00 to 17:00
Ready to apply?
If you're an employer ready to enrol a team member, or a prospective apprentice already employed, complete our application form and send it to qualifications@nhbc.co.uk.
A member of our apprenticeships team will be in touch to guide you through the next steps.