What is a Flexi-Job Apprenticeship Agency?

We provide employers with a managed apprenticeship service. It is also known as a Flexi-Job Apprenticeship Agency (FJAA). FJAAs are an initiative developed by the Department for Education (DfE) in 2022. FJAAs supply, employ and manage apprentices and place them with ‘host’ employers.

The model is designed to provide external support to employers, to make it easier to recruit and develop talent or to share apprentices between more than one organisation. 

Our Apprenticeship Agency page gives an overview of the types of businesses that benefit from a flexi-job apprenticeship agency model. 

Which businesses can host apprentices through our Flexi-Job Apprenticeship Agency?

Any organisation that wants to offer apprenticeships, no matter the size, is able to apply to use our managed apprenticeship service.

There is a due diligence process that organisations must undergo to assess your suitability to host apprentices through the service. This assessment is done remotely and is not intrusive, but will cover suitability of the service for your circumstances (i.e. is the standard apprenticeship model better suited to you), your financial viability, health and safety commitment, suitability of business premises and willingness to support the apprentice’s training.

How much do I have to pay to use the Flexi-Job Apprenticeship Agency?

Payment is simple. You choose how much you want to pay the apprentice per hour and how many hours a week they will work, we charge you this amount and any relevant Employer NI or pension, plus a weekly admin fee that covers payroll, timesheet processes, pastoral support and insurance.

You can pay apprentices £6.40 per hour in the first year, however if you can afford to pay more it’s advisable to do so. This is because it is a competitive jobs market at the moment – you’ll have more candidates to choose from at interview if you can pay at least National Minimum Wage for the candidate’s age.

Once in post, apprentices are also more likely to feel valued and committed to work if you’re able to pay them a good trainee salary. Once you submit your interest in our service, our team will talk you through your wage options.

Are graduates able to become apprentices through the Flexi-Job Apprenticeship Agency?

Apprentice candidates may have been to university. There is nothing stopping a graduate filling an apprenticeship position as long as they are acquiring substantive new skills. As an example, a Civil Engineer graduate is unlikely to be eligible for a Civil Engineer Degree Apprenticeship, however they would be eligible for an accountancy or legal apprenticeship instead.

Likewise, candidates can be any age too. There are many people that have multiple careers now, so you may find your perfect candidate is looking for a new career having taken a break from work to raise a family or decided to get out of the city to do something they are more passionate about. You don’t need to worry about eligibility, we will take care of this for you, only putting forwards candidates that have the right to work in the UK and to take up your specific apprenticeship placement.

Who pays the costs to train an apprentice?

If you employ apprentices directly (i.e. not through our flexi apprenticeship service) and you have a payroll of less than £3million per annum there is usually a cost of training apprentices if they are 22+. This ranges between £125 and £1,350 depending on the apprenticeship programme.

If you use our managed apprenticeship service, it is very unlikely you will have to pay any training fees. This is because we have great links with large businesses who transfer their unspent apprenticeship levy to us. Effectively, another business will pay for your apprentice’s training!

When do I pay, and how often? 

Just before you start hosting an apprentice with us, we require five weeks’ fees in advance. These fees are made up of the apprentice’s wages, any Employer NI and pension contributions and our weekly admin fee.

Once the apprentice has started, we make regular direct debit collections based on apprentice attendance and pay the apprentice every four weeks.

At the end of the placement, if there are any fees owing, we return these to you.

What if I want to employ the apprentice directly? 

If you’d rather employ an apprentice directly and not use the managed apprenticeship service at all, we can still help. We run a recruitment service alongside our managed apprenticeship service where we can recruit apprentices for you, find the right training provider for your needs and support on-boarding for a flat fee. 

If you do use the managed apprenticeship service, we employ the apprentice on your behalf. This allows us to provide both the apprentice and your business with support and guidance during their development. We always look to transfer the apprentice into your employment (at no charge) once they have qualified. We refund the recruitment fee once they’ve been in post 26 weeks.  

What support do we provide the apprentice?

An Apprenticeship Co-ordinator is assigned to every apprenticeship. They are the go-between for you, the apprentice and the apprenticeship provider. Their job is to make sure both the line manager and the apprentice are supported and the apprentice is progressing both at work and on their training programme.

The Apprenticeship Co-ordinator is on hand during the week for any adhoc quieries, to pick up sickness and lateness, support disciplinary or grievance issues and provide expert advice or a second opinion as required. 

The Apprenticeship Co-ordinator will also conduct reviews with the line manager, the apprentice and the apprenticeship provider at various stages during the apprenticeship.

Where more in-depth support is required, we’re on hand to help apprentices to make the most of the opportunity you are giving them and take the burden off the line manager. 

Which job roles are eligible for Flexi-Job Apprenticeships?

Supplytrain is the only Flexi-Job Apprenticeship Agency in the country approved to support businesses in all sectors and all parts of the country.

Whether you have an office-based role, are out at sea or even want to split an apprenticeship with a company abroad – we pride ourselves on listening to employers’ issues and coming up with solutions. We will go the extra mile to support employers to offer apprenticeships where the standard apprenticeship model isn’t working or signpost you to alternative support.

Contact us to start a conversation.