Apprenticeships

Your apprentice will learn a whole breadth of new skills whilst on their apprenticeship and can share knowledge with the rest of the team. 

Your apprentice will have the opportunity to work on projects for your team that may have been set aside or be on a to-do list. These projects are a perfect opportunity for the apprentice to show their learning and for the team to benefit from the outcome.

Apprenticeships have a positive impact on retention. The apprentice feels invested in by their organisation and they are better equipped for promotion opportunities, retaining your best talent and future proofing your team.

Off-the-job training is learning that takes place outside of the normal day-to-day duties which supports the achievement of the apprenticeship. 

The Education and Skills Funding Agency have stated all apprentices are required to complete at least 6 hours of their paid, contracted, working hours on off-the-job training (or 20% for those who started their apprenticeship prior to 1 Aug 2022).

As a line manager, you must ensure that your learner gets time in their working week to focus on off-the-job time. Failure to provide this will block your apprentice from completing their apprenticeship. 

We encourage you to familiarise yourself with what is and isn't classed as off-the-job time, which can be found in the off-the-job section of our Apprenticeships Guide, page 5.

As a line manager, you will be required to meet virtually with the training provider on a regular basis to keep up-to-date on their learning and provide any support needed. 

As part of government funding rules, an employer is not permitted to ask for any reimbursement from the apprentice for any apprenticeship costs, therefore we do not issue Learning Agreements for Apprentices.

As well as the regular updates that you have with the training provider, they also provide monthly reports to the Future Talent team.

Here we will identify if additional support is required (for example a lack of off-the-job time) and will reach out to you and/or the learner as appropriate.

We will also share with you any high performers that have been identified each month.

Your apprentice will be able to access the following means of support while on programme:

• Pets at Home Apprentice Chat Teams Channel (link) – This channel is for all Apprentices that are not part of an academy, linking colleagues across the business to interact and support each other on all things apprenticeships!
• You as their Line Manager - As a Line Manager, you will play a key part of your apprentices journey and will be part of a tri-partite agreement with the learner, and the training provider to support.
• Their Training Provider coach or mentor - Their training provider will be on-hand to support on all things apprenticeships and will guide them as they take their carer journey to it's next level.
• The Future Talent Team - You or your apprentice can reach out to the Future Talent team at apprenticeships@vets4pets.com, who will support with learner needs and any training provider issues that may arise. 

Your apprentice will be required to complete a work-based project in order to pass their End Point Assessment (EPA) and achieve their apprenticeship.

This project can be a great benefit to your team and we encourage you to identify a work based project that will have a positive impact, such as a project or process that is on a to-do list. 

As a line manager, please be prepared to offer guidance and support when your apprentice is working on their EPA project.