Tag: National Apprenticeship Week

HMRC: Know your worth – check your apprentice pay rates

During National Apprenticeship Week HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) is encouraging apprentices to claim the money that is rightfully theirs. Whether that’s making sure you’re being paid the correct hourly rate to claiming the savings in your Child Trust Fund, this is how to do it. 

Know your worth 

You’ve started an apprenticeship, you’re bringing home a wage, but are you getting paid correctly? Apprentices are the workers most likely to be underpaid according to The Low Pay Commission.  

Apprentice pay rates

Most workers are legally entitled to the National Minimum Wage, but minimum rates of pay differ, depending on your age and what year of your apprenticeship you’re in. 

  • 16 to 18 years old and in an apprenticeship = £5.28 per hour
  • 19 and over, first year apprentice = £5.28 per hour
  • 19 or over and have completed your first year of apprenticeship? You are entitled to the National Minimum Wage or National Living Wage rate for your age.
  • Rates change on 1 April each year. Search ‘national minimum wage rates’ on GOV.UK. 

Common mistakes made by employers include not paying apprentices for the time they spend training, or for all the time worked; and not increasing the hourly rate after the annual increase, or when the apprentice has completed their first year. 

It is always worth checking your pay. If you think that you are not receiving the correct minimum wage:

  • Speak with your employer or tutor if you are happy to do so. 
  • If you don’t feel comfortable doing that, you can always raise the issue with HMRC online at https://www.gov.uk/minimum-wage-complaint. This can be done any time – day or night. Watch this video to find out more. 
  • You can also call Acas on 0300 123 1100 for confidential advice or the Labour Relations Agency in Northern Ireland on 03300 555 300. Translation services are available.

Claim what’s yours 

Child Trust Funds (CTF) are tax-free savings accounts set up by the UK Government for children born between 1 September 2002 and 2 January 2011. 

The government paid in at least £250, and families and friends were also able to contribute. 

You can take control of your account from 16 years old and withdraw any savings when you turn 18 by contacting your CTF provider. If you don’t know who your CTF account is with, and your parents/guardian are none the wiser, you can ask HMRC. 

You will need your National Insurance number to claim. 

Find out how to claim on GOV.UK by searching ‘find a child trust fund’. 

National Insurance number  

Your National Insurance (NI) number ensures your NI contributions and tax are recorded against your name and unlocks access to a pension and benefits should you need them. 

HMRC should send you your NI number a few months before you turn 16. If you don’t have it, search ‘apply for a National Insurance number’ on GOV.UK.

HMRC app

Our highly rated app is a useful tool. To use it, download the app from the App Store or Google Play and create a ‘Government Gateway’ account. You can access these useful features: 

  • View your NI number and save it to your mobile phone wallet.
  • The tax calculator gives an annual, monthly and weekly estimate of your take home pay.
  • View your take home pay a few days before pay day. 
  • Get a full summary of your employments, income, tax codes, income tax and NI paid for the past five years.
  • View your State Pension and NI contributions. 
  • Find out how the government spends your taxes.

Scams

Protect yourself from the fraudsters who want to swindle you out of your hard-earned money. 

More than 6,500 people aged 18 to 24 reported tax-related phone scams to HMRC last year. 

Common scams include offers of a tax rebate, warnings that your tax details are out of date, or threats of immediate arrest for tax evasion. 

If a phone call, text or email is suspicious or unexpected, don’t give out private information or reply, and don’t download attachments or click on links. 
If you’re unsure about a text claiming to be from HMRC forward it to 60599, or an email to phishing@hmrc.gov.uk.

Report a tax scam phone call on GOV.UK.

Churchill announces plans to recruit up to 30 new apprentices in 2023

To coincide with National Apprenticeship Week, specialist housebuilder Churchill Retirement Living has announced ambitious new plans to support the next generation of housebuilding talent by recruiting up to 30 new apprentices in 2023.

This is a significant expansion of the company’s apprenticeship programme and will create a range of new office and site-based training roles across the country for applicants aged 16 and upwards, including school leavers.

At a time when other housebuilders may be reducing their apprenticeship activity due to uncertainty in the market, Churchill is taking the opposite approach and underlining its commitment to attracting the next generation into the sector. Those wishing to register interest should visit Churchill Apprenticeships & Early Careers.

Apprentices can join the scheme in September and choose from a range of careers from Site Management to Architecture, Quantity Surveying, Accountancy, HR, Tower Crane, Business Administration, Property Management and more.

Churchill will provide professionally recognised qualifications with clear progression paths, building on its experience in developing talented individuals through the apprenticeship route. The roles will be based across Churchill’s network of offices from Ringwood in the south to St Albans in the East and Warrington in the north, as well as various new Churchill sites currently under construction around the country.

Founded in 1994, Churchill remains independently owned by brothers Spencer and Clinton McCarthy, whose family values are embedded throughout the business.

For over 20 years the company has specialised exclusively in purpose-built apartments designed to meet the needs of older people, enabling them to enjoy an active, independent and sociable lifestyle in their retirement. The company has built and continues to manage over 200 retirement developments across the country via its property arm Churchill Estates Management.

Spencer J McCarthy, Chairman & CEO of Churchill Retirement Living, said: “Providing opportunities for people at the start of their career has always been a cornerstone of our business, and having started out as an apprentice myself it’s something I believe in strongly from my own personal experience.

“I’m therefore very proud to announce these plans to help more people get qualified, get paid, and build a career with a company that makes a difference.

“It will not only help to bring through the next generation of talent into our sector, but also ensure that we can continue to develop our industry leading team of people, to keep delivering the highest quality retirement apartments that help transform our customers’ lives.”

Case study:

Surveyor Chase Asher joined Churchill as an apprentice in 2015 and has received training and support with a series of qualifications to progress his career since then.

His initial BTEC Level 3 in Built Construction and Environment was followed by an HNC in Quantity Surveying, and he then completed a Degree in Construction Management and Quantity Surveying.

Chase says: “To start my apprenticeship I was out on site, I enjoyed this as it gave me a hands on approach and I was able to experience construction first hand. This then helped me progress into surveying, and gave me a better understanding of the process on site.

“Churchill were generous enough to fund my education by putting me through college and university to achieve a degree in Construction Management and Quantity Surveying. My work colleagues are always willing to help me when needed and are interested in my progression to be the best I can be.

“I would definitely recommend Churchill Retirement Living to work for, they’re a great company with lots of benefits with an excellent working environment.”

National competition offers £5000 prize to tradespeople hiring an apprentice

 National Apprenticeship Week: One in five tradespeople consider apprentices more important than ever despite Covid-19 decline 

  • Over a fifth of companies that regularly hire apprentices took on fewer in 2020 
  • A quarter of tradespeople and companies plan on hiring new apprentices in 2021 
  • Percentage of female, BAME and apprentices with learning difficulties continues to grow year on year
  • IronmongeryDirect launch competition to win £5,000 towards funding an apprentice 

A third of companies and tradespeople (31%)1 who regularly hire apprentices feel that the programme has been made harder due to the pandemic, as new ONS figures2 show a 30% drop in new construction apprentices between August and October 2020, compared to the same period the previous year. 

Demonstrating the effect of Covid-19 on the scheme, more than one in five (22%) companies that usually hire apprentices took on fewer in 2020, despite a fifth (19%) of tradespeople believing that the program is more important now than ever. 

Commissioned by IronmongeryDirect, the UK’s largest supplier of specialist ironmongery, in the run up to National Apprenticeship Week (8th to 14th February), the study also reveals that one in 12 tradespeople (8%) believe that the government has not done enough to support apprentices throughout the pandemic. 

Looking at the year ahead, the positive news is that a quarter (23%) of businesses and tradespeople plan to bring on apprentices in 2021. Building surveyors (34%) and electricians (28%) are the most likely trades to be looking for apprentices this year, while painter/decorators and landscapers are least likely (15% and 5%, respectively). 

Men in the industry are more likely than women to think that an apprenticeship is a great way for people to learn skills (31% vs 23%). Contrastingly however, it is tradeswomen and female-led companies that are most likely to be looking for an apprentice in the year ahead, with a quarter of women (25%) planning to hire a trainee compared to only one in five tradesmen (20%). 

According to the Office of National Statistics, female apprentices in construction are also on the rise, increasing by 19% in the 2019/20 academic year compared to the previous 12 months.

This represents a much larger trend in growth as there are a huge 333% more female construction trainees than in 2014/2015. So far in the 2020/2021 academic year, the percentage of female new starters has increased to 9%, suggesting that this growth is set to continue. 

The statistics also reveal a changing story for apprentices of colour. While BAME apprentices made up only 6% of new construction apprentices in 2019/2020, this represents a 16% increase to the previous year and an 82% rise since 2014/2015. What’s more, despite the challenges of the Coronavirus pandemic, the proportion of BAME trainees continues to grow as they make up 8% of new starters so far this academic year. 

The proportion of new apprentices with learning difficulties is also on the increase, making up 14% of the 2019/2020 intake. This is a 53% increase from 2014/15. This trend seems set to continue as 16% of the 2020/2021 year’s new starters so far have learning difficulties. 

Commenting on the research, Marco Verdonkschot, Managing Director at IronmongeryDirect, said: “It’s great to see many tradespeople and companies are still looking to make use of the apprenticeship program, despite the difficulty of the past year.  

“We think the apprenticeship scheme is an amazing way to help shape the next generation of tradespeople. That’s why we’ve launched a competition for a UK based tradesperson or company to win £5,000 towards funding an apprentice.”   

“There are so many people who do amazing work in the industry today who started out as apprentices, so it’s important that the program continues to be well-funded. More needs to be done to support apprentices throughout this pandemic to ensure that we continue to have great talent in the future, and we wanted to do our bit to help!” 

To enter the competition or learn more about this research, visit: 

https://www.ironmongerydirect.co.uk/blog/apprenticeships-and-covid-19-looking-ahead-to-2021

Young adults in Scotland encouraged to tackle climate change through heating apprenticeship

As part of National Apprenticeship Week (3rd to 9th February 2020), young adults across Scotland are being encouraged to take up a career in the heating sector and play an important role in tackling the climate change crisis.

The call follows a recent report by the National Grid which revealed 400,000 energy related jobs will need to be filled to create a workforce fit to achieve net zero emissions by 2050*.

According to the findings, 260,000 of the roles will be new, including skilled technicians, engineers and other specialists, while 140,000 will replace those who have left the sector.

Research by YouGov* confirms that over two thirds (81%) of young adults aged 18-24 think it is important to play a role in the UK’s journey to net zero, while over half (58%) want to work for an organisation that contributes to this goal.

OFTEC, the trade association for the oil heating industry, says a career in the sector can provide a secure, rewarding future in a role which directly contributes to a cleaner, greener future for the 135000 homes in Scotland currently heated by oil.

David Knipe, training manager explains: “The industry is currently developing a sustainable low carbon liquid fuel alternative to heating oil which could see all oil heated homes running on a 100% liquid biofuel by 2035.

“This means there is a strong future ahead for liquid fuels and all those involved in its production and supply, alongside the skilled technicians needed to install and maintain liquid fuel boilers.”

Fuelled by the high costs of going to university and the rising cost of living, apprenticeships are increasingly being seen as a highly credible further education option and route into future employment, with more and more students and parents recognising the benefits of combining theoretical and practical training.

To push the drive for ‘tomorrow’s technicians’, OFTEC is offering advice for young people around the benefits of apprenticeships and starting a career within the heating industry:

  • Transferable skills – the Level 3 Heating and Plumbing Apprenticeship Standard is designed by employers to ensure that you gain the right skills and knowledge to become a certified heating technician.
  • Practical work experience – you will work with a competent employer within the heating sector and gain practical experience from real-life scenarios installing and monitoring sustainable heating systems, allowing you to apply knowledge and learn faster.
  • Earn while you learn – you will be paid a minimum of £3.90 per hour (often increases with age and experience) whilst completing the apprenticeship and you will be in a great space for achieving further employment from the employer.
  • Professional recognition – after completing the apprenticeship, you may be able to apply for EngTech registration by the Engineering Council as a and globally recognised Engineering Technician, where you can also contribute to the growing discussions around climate change and sustainable heating.
  • One year’s free OFTEC membership – following your apprenticeship you can apply for one year’s free liquid or solid fuel registration with OFTEC’s competent persons scheme to demonstrate your professionalism to customers, receive ongoing technical support and enjoy a host of other benefits. 
  • Play a role in a net zero future – above all, as an apprentice in the heating industry you will be a part of the next generation of heating technicians, supporting and influencing future net zero solutions for the benefits of Scotland, the UK and the World!

David Knipe added: “With just under half (48%) of OFTEC technicians starting their career through an apprenticeship, we know that this is an excellent opportunity for young adults to gain the skills, knowledge and hands-on experience to install and maintain liquid fuel boilers that are fit for a net zero future.”

To find out more about apprenticeship and training opportunities within the sector, visit www.joinoftec.com