Little Known Facts About Apprenticeships

  • Apprenticeships are no longer solely for low wage earners wanting to learn a trade. An apprentice can be of any age, background or career level
  • New and existing staff can join your apprenticeship programme
  • The Apprenticeship Levy that came into place in April 2017 means if your annual wage bill is >£3M your business will already have a levy pot that you can claim from
  • There is government funding available for the majority of businesses to take advantage of
  • Having an apprentice does not have to mean long spells away from the pharmacy. The majority of their learning will be on the job – view our ‘Off the job training infographic for more details

Benefits enjoyed by employers of apprentices

Apprentices become highly skilled before they finish their training Apprentices deliver a return even during training, helping to de-risk the investment of upfront costs
An apprentice can be trained to suit your specific pharmacy needs Increased level of customer/patient satisfaction
Having an apprentice reinforces a culture of learning Improved customer perception of your pharmacy
Existing team is strengthened Enhanced ability to attract & retain good staff
Team’s skills / career progression are developed Increased productivity
Improved team motivation, engagement and wellbeing Improved products and services

Help your local community

As a pharmacy owner you can show your commitment to the local community by helping others to develop their skills and progress their career:

  • Over 95% of apprentices say that their ability to perform their role has improved
  • More than 90% of apprentices say their career prospects have expanded
  • Between 2017 and 2020, the employment rate of those completing an apprenticeship was 86% – 10% higher than the wider employment market.*
  • Employing a 16-18 year old apprentice comes with financial incentives

* Department for Education, Apprenticeships Evaluation Employers 2021 published March 2022

** The St. Martins Group in partnership with City & Guilds and ncfe – The real costs and benefits of Apprenticeships, September 2021.

NEW: Pharmacy Level 2 and 3 Apprenticeships

Read about our new partnership with Skills 4 Pharmacy, the Level 2 and 3 pharmacy apprenticeships on offer and how to apply.

Apprenticeship webinar - view on demand

If you missed our webinar with Skills 4 Pharmacy on 22 November 2022, you can view on demand here.

Community pharmacy apprenticeships - success stories

Read how apprentices have added value within a community pharmacy setting with some excellent examples from our partners, Skills 4 Pharmacy.

Guide to the off-the-job training rule

All apprentices must complete off-the-job training. This does not mean that they have to be away from the pharmacy all that time. We provide examples of what can be included in this training.

Apprenticeship funding

Find out how it works and what you can claim.