A small number of larger employers will provide all of the training in-house but the great majority of apprenticeships are organised for the employers by a college or private training organisation. The training organisations receive their funding direct from the government’s Skills Funding Agency. Some training organisations will subcontract with other organisations to provide some (or all) of their training.
The amount of government funding for an apprenticeship depends on the age of the apprentice. The following table summarises the proportion of funding available for different age groups.
Age of apprentice | % of funding available for training |
16 – 18 | 100% of course fees |
19 – 23 | 50% of course fees |
24+ | 40% of course fees |
For apprentices who are 19 or older the shortfall has to be made up by the employer, the apprentice or a combination of the two. All training organisations receiving government funding for apprenticeships are inspected by the Office for Standards in Education, Children’s Services and Skills (Ofsted). Ofsted publish the results of the inspections on their website at www.ofsted.gov.uk.
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