Are you developing, manufacturing and delivering advanced therapies at scale and wanting to develop and upskill your existing workforce? Or perhaps you are looking to recruit enthusiastic, committed and loyal staff? Apprenticeships could be the answer. With funding available for those who are eligible, the benefits speak for themselves.
Broaden the skills within your workforce
Adding to the experience and knowledge of existing employees could help tackle potential skills shortages, providing you with the talent you need.
Increase the range of talent in your business
Offering apprenticeships is a new opportunity to bring fresh, enthusiastic talent into your organisation. Apprentices from diverse backgrounds and experiences will bring new ideas and skills with them.
Boost productivity, morale, and commitment
Evidence suggests that apprenticeships can improve staff satisfaction and loyalty, helping your organisation not only be a better place to work, but function more effectively.
How can apprenticeships benefit employers in advanced therapies?
How can ATAC support apprentices, line managers and supervisors?
What will be expected of my business?
As part of every apprenticeship programme, you must support your apprentice with 20% off the job learning time for the duration of the programme. This is a requirement; the apprentice cannot complete the apprenticeship without this support. You are investing time in talent, which will over time invest back into productivity.
This will enable them to focus on their studies, development and learning and equates to one day per week for a full-time employee, pro-rata for part time employees. Once formally enrolled on the programme, your chosen registered training provider will discuss this further with you and your apprentice.
Here are some considerations for recruiting and employing an apprentice. It is important to note that this guidance does not cover all aspects, these are initial consideration points only:
- You will need to ensure you have a genuine vacancy to attain the learning required to complete the apprentice standard. Follow your normal in-house approval processes for this
- Once you have agreed your recruitment and advertised through your normal methods, send your advert via e-mail to your training provider
- Vacancies will be posted on the National Apprenticeship Service (NAS) website by your training provider. This is a primary tool used by future apprentices and training providers and links are provided to employers to circulate to their networks.
For Levy Paying Employers
If you’re an employer with a wage bill over £3 million each year, you must pay the apprenticeship levy. These levy funds can be used to fund apprenticeships.
For Non-levy Paying Employers
Non-levy paying employers will share the cost of training and assessing their apprentices with government – this is called ‘co-investment’. From April 2019, you will pay 5% towards to the cost of apprenticeship training and government will pay the rest (95%), up to the funding band maximum.
Find out more about the funding band maximum
What can the funds be used for?
You can only use funds to pay for apprenticeship training and assessment for apprentices that work at least 50% of the time in England, and only up to the funding band maximum for that apprenticeship.
If the costs of training and assessment go over the funding band maximum, you will need to pay the difference with other funds from your own budget. You can find information on the funding bands per apprenticeship programme on the gov.uk website.
You can’t use funds in your account to pay for other costs associated with your apprentices (such as wages, statutory licenses to practice, travel and subsidiary costs, work placement programmes or the setting up of an apprenticeship programme). The levy will only fund the training and assessment of the apprenticeship and this is paid through the digital apprenticeship service account.
What apprenticeships are available across advanced therapies in England?
What modern apprenticeships are available across advanced therapies in Scotland?
What you need to know:
Apprenticeship programmes
The following apprenticeship programmes have been established specifically within the advanced therapies industry and apprentices are currently being recruited into these roles by employer companies.
Laboratory Technician Level 3
Level 3
Science Manufacturing Technician Level 3
Level 3
Laboratory Technician Apprenticeship (Wales)
Level 3
Team Leader / Supervisor Level 3
Level 3
Quality Practitioner Apprenticeship Level 4
Level 4
Data Analyst Apprenticeship Level 4
Level 4
ATMP Technician Scientist Level 5
Level 5
ATMP Laboratory Scientist Apprenticeship Level 6
Level 6 (at end of programme), equivalent to Bachelors Degree (BSc)
ATMP Bio/Chemical Engineer Degree Apprenticeship Level 6
Level 6
Chartered Management Degree Apprenticeship Level 6
Level 6
Bioinformatics Scientist Level 7
Level 7
Senior Leader In Advanced Therapies Level 7
Level 7
Modern Apprenticeship In Life Sciences (Scotland)
SCQF Level 7 HNC in Applied Bio-Science SVQ Level 3 & core skills
Research Scientist Degree Apprenticeship Level 7
Level 7
Once the above programmes are established, focus will then be placed on further in-takes for these standards as well as other suitable programmes identified.
Are you interested in recruiting an apprentice or upskilling your workforce through apprenticeships? Contact us via email at apprenticeshipsinfo@ct.catapult.org.uk
Please refer to Resources page for useful guides and recommended publications.
What our employers say
Linda Randall, Executive Director, Biologics Development, Allergan Biologics Ltd:
“We truly believe we will develop critical skills for our own business and also support the strengthening of skills in ATMP development and commercialisation for the UK industry.”