Posted 28.04.2021

Last September Minister for the Economy  announced an apprenticeship recovery package worth more than £26million, including support for employers to take on more apprentices, such as incentives for each new apprenticeship created, and payments to employers who return and retain apprentices who have been on furlough. The response from employers suggests that the recovery package is having a positive effect on apprenticeship recruitment and retention. 

There are two elements to the package:

1. Apprenticeship Return, Retain and Result Scheme
2. Recruitment of New Apprenticeships - see info below

Recruitment of New Apprenticeships 

This incentive is available to all employers to support the recruitment of new apprentices. As an employer, you will be eligible for up to £3,000 for each new apprenticeship opportunity created from 1 April 2020 to 31 March 2022.

This bonus will apply to all new apprenticeship opportunities and includes apprentices who have been made redundant:

• Payment 1 - £2,000 after 90 days retention following start* of new paid apprenticeship
• Payment 2 - £1,000 after 200 days retention following start* of new paid apprenticeship

*For the purposes of this scheme the start of the paid apprenticeship refers to the date agreed with the training contractor as the date that the apprentice begins their ApprenticeshipsNI or Higher Level Apprenticeship programme or, in the case of apprentices who were made redundant and subsequently employed by another employer, the date the apprentice re-joined their programme.

Who is eligible?

This scheme is open to employers who take on an apprentice participating in the Department for the Economy funded ApprenticeshipsNI or Higher Level Apprenticeship programmes.

As part of the application process, checks will be made to ensure that apprentices on similar pathways have not been displaced to support recruitment if this is found to be the case eligibility may be impacted.

To note – programme eligibility excludes public sector employees.

Read more about the New Apprenticeship Incentive Scheme 

If you want to find out more about taking on a disabled apprentice contact:

Lisa McVeigh, Training Support Services Manager (Temporary) Mobile: 07967 737470 E-mail: [email protected] or Anne Reid, Job Match Manager (Interim), Mobile: 07767 112291 E-mail: [email protected]