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What is the Shared Apprenticeship Scheme?

The Shared Apprenticeship Scheme has been set up to help employers who want to support the development of skills while working on regional contracts, but are not in a position to offer a full term apprenticeship, and who wish to support training the future workforce.

Ten schemes are being developed across Great Britain, which will see 500 extra apprentices joining the UK’s construction industry workforce every year. See locations below.

How does it work?

Getting involved in the Shared Apprenticeship Scheme allows employers to dip in and out of apprentice training. The scheme allows you to take on an apprentice, for as short a duration as three months, with no commitment to the apprentice at the end.

Once the apprentice has finished working with an employer they are found another placement, and upon framework completion, they will be assisted in sourcing permanent employment within their chosen trade.

Benefits of the Shared Apprenticeship Scheme

The scheme allows employers to enjoy all the benefits of an apprentice, without any long-term risk or long-term cost to their business.

An apprentice who completes the full three-year apprenticeship will pick up an NVQ Level 3 in their chosen trade. Currently, around 90% of apprentices who complete the three years have secured full time employment in their chosen trade.

The Shared Apprenticeship Scheme allows employers to support and benefit from apprentices, even if they are unable to offer them a long term placement.

Find your nearest Shared Apprenticeship Scheme

Shared Apprentice Ltd

Shared Apprentice Ltd has been established in partnership with Angus Council, Dundee Council, Dundee and Angus College along with Andrew Shepherd Construction Ltd, Pert Bruce Construction Ltd and Robertson Group Ltd.

  • Do you have a training opportunity in an area that you don't traditionally work in?
  • Have you identified a training need, but can't commit to long term employment?

Then the Shared Apprenticeship Scheme could be for you.

“Dundee and Angus College is proud to support Angus Shared Apprentice Programme Company. This unique project will give young people an opportunity to achieve apprentice qualifications in construction, support local businesses and tackle the construction skill shortage in Tayside”
Kevin Murphy, Director of Curriculum FE & Skills, Dundee and Angus College

Contact Details

For further information on Shared Apprentice Ltd please contact:
Tel: 01241 438153
Email: 

Evolve

Evolve is a not-for-profit organisation which operates within London. It has been established in response to industry demand, as a way of providing construction contractors with an opportunity to meet local training obligations, and to maximise additional training opportunities for apprentices.

The Evolve board consists of constructors, consultants, and housing associations, providing the benefit of access to offices, local stakeholders and opportunities across the London area. The board partners have extensive experience of working with apprentices in the Built Environment.

“The Evolve Shared Apprenticeship Scheme is an excellent, independent initiative, which the London region has been crying out for. The scheme, and others like it, enables contractors such as Keepmoat to continue to provide local job opportunities on a national scale. The opportunities have always been there, but with tighter economical demands and shorter duration projects it has been extremely hard to provide continued career paths and extensions for the apprentices previously employed.

Evolve helps contractors who employ apprentices such as ourselves solve these issues and allows continued support for the individuals, a wider range of experiences and many more career path opportunities. An additional factor to the success of the scheme is the support and guidance given by CITB which has helped to create a strong partnering culture.”
Dave Cowell, Training Manager for Keepmoat

Contact Details

For further information please contact:

Evolve
Tel: 07740 485855
E-mail: info@evolveuk.org
Website: Visit the Evolve website

Constructing the Future

Constructing the Future (CtF) was established in August 2012 in partnership with Fusion21, who link spending programmes across numerous organisations, to facilitate the creation of training opportunities and sustainable jobs for local people. CtF is operational across Merseyside, Cheshire, Lancashire, Cumbria and Greater Manchester.

“We got involved in the shared apprenticeship programme because of its flexibility. If we get a busy period we can take a trainee on, but we aren’t financially committed for the normal length of an apprenticeship which is about three years. This lack of risk means we’re more likely to employ more apprentices in the future.The scheme works for us as Building Skills do an assessment of  trainees before they start. They’re given a full induction and an apprenticeship tool kit which prepares them and makes sure they have the right attitude. This also frees up our time. We get invoiced for each apprentice by CtF rather than having to pay them through our payroll so we have less administration.”

“We’re giving people a chance to get a position in the building industry when they might have otherwise struggled to find work.”
Gerard McEvoy, Director of Penny Lane Builders Ltd

Contact Details

For further information on CtF, please contact:

Rachel Donovan CTF Careers Service Manager

Tel: 07976 079544

Email: rdonovan@calico.org.uk

TrAC

TrAC is an employer-led initiative that has been set up with the specific aim of helping employers who aren't able to provide the 2-3 years employment typically required to help an apprentice finish their training. It is a not for profit company that has financial support from around 30 Main Contractor partners, and 8 Local Authority partners across the South and South East. Their partners include East Sussex County Council, Essex CC, Norfolk CC, Suffolk CC, Kent CC, Build East Sussex, Build Essex and Build Norfolk.

TrAC is currently operational in the South and East of England (Essex, Norfolk, Kent, Suffolk, East Sussex).

 "The flexibility of the scheme, mixed with the opportunity it gives to young people finding their feet in a challenging industry is unique. As a company, some of our workload is comprised of short-term projects that don’t allow us to employ apprentices directly ourselves. Our involvement with TrAC enables us to continue our proud tradition of providing craftspeople with such training.

The team at TrAC are clearly committed to providing their trainees with the best possible chances to create a long-term career for themselves. This commitment is proven in the high standard of apprentices that TrAC employs, and by the ongoing monitoring and support that TrAC provide throughout each apprenticeship."
Jonathan Brookes, Corporate Social Responsibility Manager at Lakehouse

Contact Details

For further information, please contact:

CITB SAS Co-ordinator: Samantha Mclaughlin
Mobile: 07776 092946
Email: Samantha.mclaughlin@citb.co.uk

TrAC
Tel: 01263 735486
Email: info@tracweb.co.uk
Website: Visit the TrAC website

The South West Shared Apprenticeship Company (SWSA)

SWSA has been established in partnership with Bournemouth Borough Council, Devon County Council and Kier along with a number of construction companies including Morgan Sindall, BAM Construction, MIDAS Group Ltd, Spectrum Housing, ISG and Willmott Dixon.

This shared apprenticeship model supports the growing demand for a more flexible approach to apprenticeships and reflects the needs of the construction industry.

"We at the Midas Group are committed to developing individuals to gain the skills and experience that will be vital to the industry's future. The South West Shared Apprenticeship Scheme enables us to do this in a way that is flexible for both us and the apprentice.

By undertaking the recruitment and matching process on our behalf, as well as being involved with the training colleges, the scheme is a fantastic model for creating and filling apprentice opportunities in construction.”
Ian Bassett, Head of People Midas Group Ltd

Contact Details

For further information on SWSA please contact:

Julia Coulton SWSA Business Manager

Tel: 07718 338879

Email: julia.coulton@swsharedapprenticeships.com

CoTrain

CoTrain is a not-for-profit shared apprenticeship scheme operating across the construction sector in the South of England (Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Hampshire, Isle of Wight, Oxfordshire, Surrey and West Sussex).

We recruit from the local area to the project and support you during the interview process. Our agreement with you works on a cost recovery basis invoicing a fixed monthly fee. This includes the apprentice salary, payroll management, travel allowance, college sign-up and fees. We also support the apprentice and line manager until the end of their apprenticeship.

“Using a shared scheme gives us flexibility. We’re able to use the initial two years of training to assess suitability of that apprentice in the longer term, with the ‘risk’ of early employment, HR support, progress monitoring and reporting, all managed by CoTrain."

Chris Harrison, Operations Director, Dandara Southern – read more about Co Train

Contact details

Tel: 0118 9207 200
Email: 
Website: Visit the CoTrain website

CoTrain is part of the SECBE family

Y Prentis

Y Prentis is a shared apprenticeship programme, sponsored by CITB and the Welsh Government, that employs apprentices on behalf of the industry and rotates them through hosted placements within construction companies. 

It was set up in October 2012 and is owned by Melin Homes and CMC² and run by employment experts So Savi. 

YORfuture

YORfuture was established in May 2013, in partnership with YORhub, which is made up of YORbuild, YORcivil and YORconsult. In addition, YORhub  maintains strong links with Efficiency North and its frameworks, EN Procure and Re-allies. YORfuture is operational across Yorkshire and Humber.

“We are fully committed to developing our tradesmen and women for future sustainability of the construction trades. This proposal is one of the most efficient we have seen and has the potential to surpass any that we have been involved with recently for genuine apprentice opportunities”
Simmons Services Ltd

“By removing barriers to entry and providing opportunities for new apprentices through YORfuture we will secure the future development of the industry and improve the diversity of people who work in construction”
Rider Levett Bucknall

“We believe that YORfuture will be an effective way to provide training and employment that will both benefit young people and employers”
Jackson Civil Engineering

Contact Details

For further information on YORfuture, please contact:

YORfuture Operations Manager: Julie Deeley
Tel: 07432 239150
Email: