It’s National Apprenticeship Week – what better time to look at apprentices’ rights and opportunities when it comes to learning and training?
An apprenticeship isn’t just about finding out how to do one particular job, it’s about learning the skills and develop the confidence to make you successful through a whole career. And learning is a huge part of that.
Off-the-job learning
People might guess that an apprenticeship is about learning on the job – but by law, at least 20% of an apprentice’s time shoud be spent on off-the-job training.
This should happen in your normal work hours – or, if it doesn’t, you should be compensated, for example, with time off in lieu.
It might take place in the classroom, online, or both.
English and maths training
If you don’t already have level 2 qualifications (e.g. GCSE grade A-C or 4-9) in English and maths, your apprenticeship should offer you training. This is called ‘functional skills’ training – and it doesn’t count towards the 20% off-the-job training mentioned above.
Find out more about how UNISON works for apprentices
Learn more about apprentices’ rights with our e-learning module