The main rules governing apprenticeships are:

• the apprentice must be employed in a real job; they may be an existing employee or a new hire
• the apprentice must work towards achieving an approved apprenticeship standard or apprenticeship framework
• the apprenticeship training must last at least 12 months
• the apprentice must spend at least 20% of their time on off-the-job training – this training must be directly relevant to the apprenticeship framework or standard.

The way apprenticeships are funded has changed since May 2017.

If you’re an employer with a pay bill over £3 million each year, you must pay the apprenticeship levy.