Employers
Our highly experienced Business Development Advisers work with over 400 businesses across the Liverpool City Region. They offer advice on apprenticeships, training and funding options which will help your business to develop the skills of your workforce further.
Stay ahead of the competition
Our aim is to assist businesses in becoming more productive and profitable, as well as attracting and maintaining a motivated team of staff, with the strength of training expertise and business knowledge, to help your business prosper.
The Business Development Team is here to help you with a free Training Needs Assessment to identify any gaps between your employees’ skill set and the needs of your business. This service can be an invaluable tool for your company’s succession planning. All of our advice and guidance is provided free of charge.
What are the benefits?
The benefits to your business of starting an apprenticeship or upskilling your workforce can be huge. Here are just a handful:
Keep or develop your competitive advantage
Increase productivity and efficiency
Enhance employee satisfaction and retention
Attract new employees and reduce recruitment costs
Employers we work with
Accredited for our quality
Many of the training options we offer are accredited by professional bodies. Accreditation is the granting of approval to an institution of learning by an official review board after the institution has met certain standards. It is the kite mark that all candidates and employers should look for.
We are accredited with City & Guilds, Nebosh, Edexcel, EDI, Fensa and the Institute of Leadership & Management (ILM).
Talk to someone about your training needs
About our Training
We offer Apprenticeship and training at Intermediate, Advanced and Higher/Degree level.
Apprenticeship Training
We will work closely with you to ensure that the apprenticeship offered is the most appropriate for your business, the individual’s job role and needs. We offer Apprenticeships at Intermediate, Advanced and Higher/Degree level and these are available to employers of any size.
The training will combine theory and practice using assessments in your workplace alongside assignments and exams at College.
Short Courses
Our short courses can upskill your employees, improve productivity and enhance retention. They can be delivered at your workplace, remotely or on our campus.
Funding
There are a variety of different funding options that can be accessed by our team on your behalf at a local or national level. Our Advisors are here to assess your eligibility to access funding and ensure that your training needs are fully met.
Traineeships
If you are interested in taking on an Apprentice but would like to trial how this could work for your business, then a Traineeship is for you. It gives you the chance to take someone on short-term without any cost.
Free Training Needs Assessment
Take advantage of our free Training Needs Assessment to identify any gaps between your employees’ skill set and the needs of your business. This service can be an invaluable tool for your company’s succession planning.
Levy Paying Apprenticeships
If your wage bill is over £3 million the following applies to your business:
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0.5% of your payroll goes to the HMRC for the levy
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£15k allowance back per annum
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10% back per £1 over the initial £3 million
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24 month time limit to spend your allowance
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Contracted hours for apprentices can be flexible
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£3.70 minimum wage for apprentices
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£1,000 grant per 16-18 year old apprentice
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No NIC payments for apprentices under 25
Co-investment Apprenticeships
If your wage bill is less than £3 million the following applies to your business:
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100% apprenticeship funding for employees aged 16-18, dependent on the size of your business
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90% apprenticeship funding available for employees aged 19+
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10% apprenticeship funding contribution from the employer (if applicable)
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Payment plans available for the 10% employer contribution
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Contracted hours for apprentices can be flexible
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£3.70 minimum wage for apprentices
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£1,000 grant per 16-18 year old apprentice
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No NIC payments for apprentices under 25
Talk to someone about your training needs
Barrie Crompton, Production Supervisor at Billfinger Group
"The Business Improvement Techniques (BIT) apprenticeship training proved to be of great benefit to the business. The content was delivered in a flexible approach to suit our day to day operation. It was so successful that we are now rolling the programme out to other team members.”
Steve Crawford, Crawford Decorators
“As a small business, it is essential that the apprentices I take on are reliable, have initiative and are motivated to develop themselves. Thanks to working with the Hugh Baird Business Development Centre, I have found that all the apprentices I have taken on have possessed these traits. Communication from the College is also excellent and I am kept up to date with how my apprentices are progressing with their College work.”
Can you support our careers strategy?
Hugh Baird College aims to provide its learners with a variety of opportunities to develop themselves ready for the world of work. We regularly hold events such as; mock interviews, careers fairs and university interviews. For more information on these events, take a look at our careers calendars at: www.hughbaird.ac.uk/student-support.
If you would be interested in contributing to our careers provision and support our learners to make effective decisions when it comes to their careers planning, please contact us on: careers@hughbaird.ac.uk.
Frequently Asked Questions
Below are the answers to some questions that we are often asked:
- The Business Development Team is dedicated to helping you recruit the apprentice you need. We will advertise your vacancy free of charge on the National Apprenticeship Service website and also to all students at Hugh Baird College, on our website and across our social media platforms. Our access to a list of full time College students means that many candidates will already have achieved some relevant qualifications
- Once we receive applications, we will shortlist candidates who meet your requirements and arrange interviews for you to make your selection as easy as possible
- The Business Development Team will also make all necessary arrangements for the delivery of the qualification
- Once you have selected your apprentice, an assessor will be assigned. The assessor will also support and guide you and the apprentice and ensure you are both meeting national quality standards that are integrated into the programme
The apprentice National Minimum Wage applies to all 16 to 18 year olds on an Intermediate Level or Advanced Level Apprenticeship and to those aged 19 and over in the first year of their Intermediate Level or Advanced Level Apprenticeship.
Apprentices need to be employed for a minimum of 30 hours work per week but many employers choose to offer a salary in line with that of their other employees.
If the apprentice is aged 19 and over and has completed the first year of their apprenticeship, the employer must pay the National Minimum Wage appropriate for their age.
In some cases, employers can access a grant to help with the cost of an apprentice in the first year of employment. At the Hugh Baird Business Development Centre, we can help you access this grant.
This represents a very small investment to recruit a new employee and there is usually a quick return on the investment as the apprentice is generally very motivated and loyal to their employer, as well as growing in vocational competence.
You will be assigned a member of our Business Development team who will support and guide you throughout the whole process and will be your point of contact for all your needs.
You can access the Employer Portal here.
