Apprenticeships in Composite Materials

How to take on an apprentice

To employ an apprentice, you need to check and meet the following terms and conditions.

Your apprentice should:

• be 16 years old or older by the end of the summer holidays
• not be in full-time education
• work in a role that is relevant to their apprenticeship
• work enough paid hours each week to undertake sufficient training to achieve their apprenticeship
• Apprentices can be new employees or current employees already working for you.

Click here to follow the steps and guidance on how to take on an apprentice

Incentive payments for hiring a new apprentice are available to any employer who takes on an apprentice as a new employee to their business with a contract of employment start date between 1 August 2020 and 31 January 2021.

L3 Composite Technician

The approval by Government of the Composites Technician Apprenticeship is a significant milestone and companies can now train apprentices on composites part manufacture. The training programme has been designed and developed by industry to provide the apprentice with a broad understanding of all elements of composites manufacture. This will enable cross-industry movement of people in the future.

There are 8 mandatory units and 14 optional units which enable the trainee to focus on specific areas and gain a deeper understanding in the specific operations the company requires. Click here for more information    

Apprentices will be eligible for engineering tech (EngTech) status with the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining and Institution of Mechanical Engineers on completing their apprenticeship.

Colleges currently offering the apprenticeship                                                           

Bridgewater and Taunton College
Bridgwater Campus, Bath Road, Bridgwater, Somerset, TA6 4PZ

Brockenhurst College
Lyndhurst Rd, Brockenhurst, SO42 7ZE

Chichester College Group
Chichester Campus, Westgate Fields, Chichester, West Sussex, PO19 1SB

Coleg Gwent - Dennison Advanced Material Centre
Nash Road, Newport, NP19 4TS

Farnborough College of Technology
Boundary Road, Farnborough, Hants, GU14 6SB

Maritime and Engineering College North West
The Engineering College, Monks Ferry, Birkenhead, Wirral, CH41 5LH

Milton Keynes College
Woughton Campus West, Chaffron Way, Leadenhall, Milton Keynes MK6 5LP

Peterborough Regional College
Peterborough Regional College, Park Crescent, Peterborough, PE1 4DZ

The Engineering College
Birkenhead, The Engineering College, Monks Ferry, Birkenhead, Wirral, CH41 5LH

Weston College
South West Skills Campus, Locking Road, Weston-Super-Mare, North Somerset, BS22 8NL

Yeovil College
Mudford Rd, Yeovil, BA21 4DR

Apprenticeship Levy

The Apprenticeship levy was introduced in April 2017. It will be payable on annual wage bills of more than £3 million. Only 2% of UK employers will be required to pay the Levy. All employers will have access to funding for Apprenticeship training through the levy.  Full funding is available to companies employing fewer than 50 employees. 

For details on paying the levy and how to spend your funds click here

BIS has issued guidance on what this means - access the guidance here.

*Photo courtesy of Formaplex