Apprenticeships

Apprenticeships are real paid jobs, which provide hands-on experience and free training for a nationally recognised qualification. 

Apprenticeships also benefit businesses by providing a practical way to grow talent and develop a skilled and motivated workforce. 

We also support businesses in developing their apprenticeship programmes

Register your details to receive regular updates about employment, skills and training or information for businesses.

Apprenticeship levy business support scheme  

Your business can apply to receive Ealing Council’s unspent apprenticeship levy funding to train new apprentices.  

As an employer, the council pays into the apprenticeship levy. This goes into funding that can be used to pay for apprenticeship training. Employers can ‘gift’ their unspent levy funding to other businesses so they can benefit from having apprentices. 

Ealing Council wants to share unspent levy funding with businesses in Ealing that do not have their own levy funding or have already spent their allocation. The levy funding can only be used for training rather than salaries. 

Eligibility criteria 

We want to hear from businesses that are interested in employing new apprentices, increase the number of apprentices they already have or want to upskill their existing staff. 

To apply for the apprenticeship levy business support scheme, your business needs to: 

  • Be based in Ealing, doing significant business in Ealing or will employ local residents as apprentices 
  • Confirm that you will pay the salary of the apprentice during the apprenticeship as the levy funding can only pay for apprenticeship training 
  • Confirm the apprenticeship is new and not yet started as funding cannot be awarded retrospectively 
  • Employ your apprentice for a minimum of 30 hours per week or less where this complies with apprenticeship funding rules 
  • Allow the apprentice to spend the required 20% of their time for their off-the-job training as part of an approved apprenticeship standard 
  • Confirm your levy funding has been used for the year, if you already pay into the levy and have spent your funding 
  • Have your own apprenticeship digital account.

Webinar recording

If you missed Apprenticeship levy funding for employers – the virtual webinar we held in partnership with London Progression Collaboration on 1 March, you can watch a recording of it on council's YouTube channel. Learn more about the benefits of apprentices and how to access council's unspent apprenticeship levy funding to pay for their training.

Apply for the scheme 

For more information or to make an application, please email apprenticeships@ealing.gov.uk or call 020 8825 6234.