Are you looking to employ an apprentice but need a bit more information?
Saks Apprenticeships have answered some of the most frequently asked questions employers ask us and even though we are a Hair and Beauty Apprenticeship specialist the answers to these questions will also be correct for other industries too.
An apprenticeship is a government recognised and approved learning programme, aimed at people over the age of 16. Apprenticeships are an excellent way of training junior members of staff, allowing them to gain hands-on, practical experience while earning a wage.
An apprenticeship is the best way to ensure you get a member of staff working the way you want! You are in control of the training! Training is in your salon with a member of your salon team as well as weekly online sessions in our virtual classroom. A Saks Educator will also visit your salon on a regular basis to deliver training, monitor the apprentice’s progression and help the apprentice to achieve. There is regular contact and updates through our specially designed VLE.
There are grants available to employers for employing an apprentice. The main grant is currently £1000 for those employed and enrolled onto an apprenticeship when they are between 16 to 18 years old. There may also be grants available through your local authorities, you should check with them directly for these.
If you employ an apprentice aged 16-18 you don’t have to pay a penny towards their training. For apprentices aged 19+, you will be required to pay a 5% contribution. We work with you to ensure this cost is manageable.
In most cases we will come to you in your salon. We also offer learners the opportunity to attend our Academies, if they are based within travelling distance of them and we hold weekly scheduled training sessions online in our virtual classrooms as well as a fantastic library of learning materials in our virtual learning environment. Our educator ran training is much more hands-on than a typical college course and give your apprentice the skills, knowledge and behaviours to excel in their chosen career and become job ready whilst giving them the time to settle and become an integral part of your team.
Instead of your apprentice taking time out of work for days in college, your apprentice and salon are assigned a dedicated Saks Educator. They’ll plan and oversee your tailor-made learning programme and offer support and guidance both online and face-to-face.
We have developed a bespoke interactive virtual learning environment, to make your apprentices learning journey as engaging and smooth as possible. Apprentices and employers have a unique calendar, where you can log and track training hours, schedule your Saks Educators visits, and book apprentices onto our exclusive Academy courses. You can also communicate with your designated educator whenever you need to.
This depends on the apprentice. They take a minimum of 15 months, but will more likely be 17-19 months. The harder your apprentice works, the faster they can achieve their apprenticeship. At the start of the apprenticeship we will work with you and your apprentice to agree a training plan and timescales for achievement.
Once you’ve made the decision to train an apprentice through Saks Apprenticeships, we will help you find the perfect candidate.
We have a dedicated Recruitment Officer who will advertise your vacancy for you on our website, social media channels and the government's vacancy matching service. Not only that, but we will also review all applications for your position to make sure they are suitable for your salon!
Advertising in your salon window is always a great way to attract potential apprentices, so we will supply you with branded materials to display in your salon.
Your apprentice will be entitled to the national apprenticeship wage if they are between the ages of 16 and 19 years old. If they are 19 or over you can pay them an apprentice wage for the first year of their apprenticeship.
Your apprentices will be required to work a minimum of 30 hours per week. However, if your apprentice is under 18 years old, they are not permitted to work more than 40 hours per week, or more than 8 hours per day. As an employer you must dedicate 20% of their working hours to training, so if they work 30 hours per week, this would be 6 hours in training.
We will provide the apprentice and you with all the training materials you need. We even give your apprentice a free kit to practise with!
Since the introduction of the Hair Professional Standard Apprenticeships, Apprentices are taught the theory of cutting, colouring and styling of all hair types/classifications as part of the course.
Apprentices also need to demonstrate that they have worked on a variety of hair classifications to pass their course (with extremely curly hair being type 4).
However, because of the demographics of the UK (with only 4.5% of the population being black British or dual heritage) we cannot enforce that apprentices MUST have cut and styled extremely curly type 4 hair as part of their course because it would significantly disadvantage many apprentices (particularly those living outside of the UK’s major cities) and mean that many would be unable to complete their qualifications.
The way this new standard has been written is to ensure that all learners have a fair and accessible chance of completing they're qualifications according to the demographics of their working area.
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