BuildING the workforce your business needs

An Apprenticeship is a job with a structured training element funded by the government, where the Apprentice is employed by you and works as part of your team, whilst completing a nationally recognised qualification alongside their role.

Training for the apprenticeship qualification takes up 20% of the apprentice’s working hours – typically one day per working week. This can happen in the workplace, online or in one of our four training centres, depending on which qualification the apprentice is working towards.

Apprentices can be new recruits or existing staff upskilling into a new role, and there is no upper age limit for most Apprenticeship qualifications.

Apprenticeships typically last between 12 and 48 months, depending on the standard and level. From recruiting the right apprentice for your business, all the way through to completing final assessments, our team at Focus Training works closely with you to ensure that what we’re delivering aligns with your business needs, and that your Apprentice is fully supported all the way.

Apprenticeships have evolved into one of the most effective ways to build a skilled, loyal workforce ready for the future. Here’s why they are a smart choice for modern businesses:

• Bridge the Skills Gap: Instead of searching for the “perfect” candidate in a competitive market, you can develop your own. Apprenticeships allow you to mould talent to meet the specific technical standards and cultural values of your company.

• Boost Productivity & Innovation: Research consistently shows that apprentices bring fresh perspectives and a high level of motivation. They are eager to learn and often introduce modern techniques and “best practice” habits into the team.

• Incredible Cost-Effectiveness: With substantial government funding available, apprenticeships are an affordable way to expand your team. For many businesses, the majority (or even 100%) of training costs are covered, significantly reducing your recruitment and development overheads.

• Increase Staff Retention: Employees who feel invested in are more likely to stay. By providing a clear career pathway from day one, you build long-term loyalty, reducing the high costs associated with staff turnover.

• Future-Proof Your Workforce: As industries like Electrical, Gas, and Business operations become more tech-driven, apprenticeships ensure your team is trained on the latest regulations and digital tools from the very start.

Apprenticeships are government funded, making them one of the most cost-effective ways to recruit, retain and upskill staff.

If your annual payroll is under £3 million:

• The government funds 95% of the training costs, while you contribute 5% of the agreed funding band

• If you employ fewer than 50 staff and recruit a 16–18 year old apprentice, training costs may be 100% funded

• It may be possible to transfer a bigger business’ levy funds to you, which is another way that training costs may be 100% funded. Speak to us about this.

You are responsible for:

• Apprentice wages (at least National Minimum Wage for Apprentices)

• Usual employment costs (NI, pension, etc.)

If your annual payroll exceeds £3 million:

• You pay 0.5% of your payroll into the Apprenticeship Levy fund

• Funds can be used to pay for apprenticeship training

• Unused funds can be transferred to another business, and expire after 24 months

Our team will support you in the best way to structure Apprenticeship costs foryour business.

Sometimes you might already have an Apprentice in mind when looking for a training provider, but if not, we can support your recruitment from start to finish.

Our process includes:

• Matching your business with candidates from our talent pool

• Advertising your vacancy on national and local platforms

• Promoting through our website and social media

• Screening applications

• Supporting shortlisting and interview arrangements

• Ensuring eligibility checks are completed

We focus on matching candidates not only with the role, but with your company culture and long-term workforce needs.

If you do already have someone in mind, we can assess their suitability and eligibility before enrolment. And if your candidate is an existing employee, our advisors can help you to determine the most suitable standard to enrol them on for your business needs.

Partnering with us means you are not navigating Apprenticeships alone.

You will receive:

• A dedicated Training Advisor

• Support with workforce planning

• Guidance on funding and costs
• Support with paperwork and compliance documents during signup
• Industry expert lecturers and assessors 
• Added value courses for your Apprentice as standard, like First Aid training
• Clear communication throughout the programme
• Regular progress reviews throughout the Apprenticeship
• Access to a wide range of industry relevant courses at our training centres

The Focus team work collaboratively with all of our employers, building a good understanding of your business needs to ensure apprentices develop into competent, confident members of your workforce.

We offer 25+ Apprenticeship standards in the following industries:

• Business & Professional
• Electrical
• Gas Engineering
• Plumbing
• Fire & Security
• Early Years & Education
• Health & Social Care

Many of our employer partners have Apprentices from more than one industry category training with us – for example an Electrician company may also benefit from a Business Admin or Accountancy apprentice.

Click here to view all of the Apprenticeships that we offer.

Employers and Apprentices all tell us the same thing: Focus Training makes me feel like I matter.

From friendly Centre Coordinators who make an effort to greet you by name when you walk in the door, to industry expert teaching staff who are absolutely dedicated to developing highly skilled professionals, we’re proud to be so much more than just a training provider.

We see the employers we work with as partners, working together together to train, retrain and upskill your workforce, supporting you to achieve your business goals.

It’s this commitment to both the quality of our teaching and of our employer relationships that’s seen us maintain one of the South West’s highest Apprenticeship achievement rates over the last few years – a fantastic 77% overall – and we have every intention of continuing to improve that score.

To experience the Focus Training difference for yourself, make an appointment to come and see one of our four specialist training facilities in Bristol, Exeter, Plymouth or Redruth.

Click here to go to our contact page.

While we are specialists in Apprenticeships, our employer partners also trust us to deliver high quality, industry-relevant short courses to support your compliance and upskilling needs, such as:

• Electrical qualifications and compliance
• Gas qualifications and compliance
• Health & Safety
• First Aid
• Entry level construction skills

Click here to view our full range of courses and book online.