Preston Businesses can access grants to recruit young apprenticeships

Want to recruit young people and need help?

Lancashire County Council has grants to incentivise small and medium employers in Preston and Lancashire to recruit young apprentices.

There are incentive payments of £3,000 to employers who recruit, and employ, an apprentice under twenty-five years old before 30 September 2025.

Why is there a grant?

The number of apprenticeship starts in Lancashire for this age category has been falling since 2018.  This incentive aims to:

• Help employers like you to recruit young people
• Address systemic skills gaps that have been amplified by an ageing workforce and the rising numbers classed as economically inactive
• Show young people there are thriving industries and employers that are offering them great opportunities to forge their careers

Why should I employ an apprentice?

The Lancashire Skills and Employment Hub has some really good impartial information to help you with your decision to take on an apprentice.  This includes what an apprentice is and what they are not; is an apprentice right for my business? And advice on recruitment and training through the apprenticeship route for all ages.

Apprenticeships are an opportunity to train people and they are open to all organisations.  Whether you are recruiting new talent or developing your existing staff, apprenticeships help to build the knowledge, skills and behaviours your team need to succeed.

This grant is specifically for those under twenty-five, but apprenticeships are for people of all ages and levels. They can include degrees or chartered status and provide a valuable pathway to develop your people, your way - no matter what sector you are operating in.

For general information on apprenticeships find out more at  sign up for the Skills Pledge or use the contact us page on the Lancashire Skills and Employment Hub.

How the apprenticeship grant works

This incentive payment of £3,000 is paid in two equal instalments to the employer. To be eligible for the incentive payment.

1. No apprentice must have been recruited in the two years preceding this application
2. The business (including its parent/holding company/ies and subsidiaries) does not employ more than 249 people or has revenues greater than £50 million.
3. The business has premises in Lancashire County Council's jurisdiction where the apprentice will be based.  This excludes the unitary authorities of Blackpool and Blackburn with Darwen.
4. No recruitment for this apprenticeship has taken place before this application.
5. Funding, per Section 36 of the Subsidy Control Act 2022, has not exceeded £312,000 over a rolling three-year financial period (including the current one).

The award of the incentive is dependent upon a commitment to advertise the vacancy on Find Apprenticeship. The first instalment will be released upon verification from the training provider that the apprentice has been enrolled.

The second instalment will be released when:

• We have validated that the apprentice is still in employment and receiving training.
• Suitable content to help publicise and promote the recruitment of apprentices has been provided.

Up to three incentives can be applied per employer, but all apprentices need to start within a six week period (from the start of employment of the first apprentice).

This is an incentive and employers who have already started recruitment or employed the apprentice will not be eligible.

How to register

To register employers can visit LCC - apprenticeship incentive.