Information for employers
Build the future with us
Sustainability is Our Future
Our sustainability courses are designed to meet the growing demand for green skills in construction. Provide your employees with the practical knowledge in areas like low-carbon technologies, energy efficiency and sustainable building practices.
Some courses are eligible for government funding, helping you upskill your team without the financial barrier.
CITB Grants Available
You don’t need to worry about the cost of hiring an apprentice. If you have less than 50 employees and a salary bill of under £3 million, you should be eligible for free training if you hire a 16-18 year old. In addition, there is a government cash incentive of £1000.
If you hire someone over 19, you can still qualify for 95% of the training to be funded.
But there’s more… if you’re registered with CITB, you could be eligible for £2500 per year grant. Visit their website for more information
Get Involved
How You Can Get Involved
At Leeds College of Building, we’re training the next generation of skilled construction industry workers who will support your business needs. Supporting the college does more than develop our students, it provides you with the opportunity to hire the best workers, with the life skills that make them work-ready as well as helping you reach your social value targets.
Hire an Apprentice
An apprentice comes with fresh ideas and a strong willingness to learn. Not only do apprentices help fill skills gaps but they are also a cost effective way to support your existing team and grow your business.
There are many benefits to taking on an apprentice. Not only does it contribute to your social value targets but apprentices are more loyal to their employer which helps with retention.
Take on a Placement Student
All of our students are keen to get work experience before finishing their qualification. They bring enthusiasm and a drive to learn to all placements.
Placements are important for all courses but even more so for our T level students. Placements are a requirement of their course and a valuable opportunity for them to apply their knowledge in a real-world workplace.
Deliver an Employability Session
We pride ourselves in making sure all of our students are work-ready when they leave us. We run many employability sessions throughout the year to provide them with the skills required to land their first job within construction.
Our employers are vital in helping us deliver this service. From CV writing workshops to mock interviews, you can run employability sessions to help them with their next step.
Sponsorship and Donations
Do you have surplus stock or leftover materials? Don’t let them go to waste, you can donate them to our college for our students to learn with.
From bricks and blocks, to timber, tiles and tools, we rely on the support of industry partners to keep our workshops well-stocked.
By donating surplus materials you can reduce waste and free up storage, all whilst supporting the next generation of tradespeople.
Contribute to Our Curriculum
We know the industry moves fast and we’re committed to keep our courses aligned with the needs of the construction employers. That’s why we’ve created our employer forum.
Join our employer forum to share your insights which go on to shape how our curriculum is delivered.
Our employer forums are also a great place to network with other like-minded employers. You’ll ensure that future employees have the skills that your business needs and you’ll play a key role in raising the standards within construction.
Share Your Apprenticeship Levy with a Small Businesses
Did you know, that if you’re not using all of your apprenticeship levy you can share some of it with small businesses in the construction industry?
Many small businesses struggle to justify employing an apprentice due to the cost. Although there are grants available, it can often put businesses off.
If you’re not using your levy you can share up to 25%, meaning your unused funds could help train other apprentices in the supply chain.
Get Involved
How You Can Get Involved
At Leeds College of Building, we’re training the next generation of skilled construction industry workers who will support your business needs. Supporting the college does more than develop our students, it provides you with the opportunity to hire the best workers, with the life skills that make them work-ready as well as helping you reach your social value targets.
Hire an Apprentice
An apprentice comes with fresh ideas and a strong willingness to learn. Not only do apprentices help fill skills gaps but they are also a cost effective way to support your existing team and grow your business.
There are many benefits to taking on an apprentice. Not only does it contribute to your social value targets but apprentices are more loyal to their employer which helps with retention.
Take on a Placement Student
All of our students are keen to get work experience before finishing their qualification. They bring enthusiasm and a drive to learn to all placements.
Placements are important for all courses but even more so for our T level students. Placements are a requirement of their course and a valuable opportunity for them to apply their knowledge in a real-world workplace.
Deliver an Employability Session
We pride ourselves in making sure all of our students are work-ready when they leave us. We run many employability sessions throughout the year to provide them with the skills required to land their first job within construction.
Our employers are vital in helping us deliver this service. From CV writing workshops to mock interviews, you can run employability sessions to help them with their next step.
Sponsorship and Donations
Do you have surplus stock or leftover materials? Don’t let them go to waste, you can donate them to our college for our students to learn with.
From bricks and blocks, to timber, tiles and tools, we rely on the support of industry partners to keep our workshops well-stocked.
By donating surplus materials you can reduce waste and free up storage, all whilst supporting the next generation of tradespeople.
Contribute to Our Curriculum
We know the industry moves fast and we’re committed to keep our courses aligned with the needs of the construction employers. That’s why we’ve created our employer forum.
Join our employer forum to share your insights which go on to shape how our curriculum is delivered.
Our employer forums are also a great place to network with other like-minded employers. You’ll ensure that future employees have the skills that your business needs and you’ll play a key role in raising the standards within construction.
Share Your Apprenticeship Levy with a Small Businesses
Did you know, that if you’re not using all of your apprenticeship levy you can share some of it with small businesses in the construction industry?
Many small businesses struggle to justify employing an apprentice due to the cost. Although there are grants available, it can often put businesses off.
If you’re not using your levy you can share up to 25%, meaning your unused funds could help train other apprentices in the supply chain.
Apprenticeships
How Do I Get an Apprentice?
Getting an apprentice is similar to getting any other employee.
At Leeds College of Building we can match you with one of our full time students who is looking for an apprenticeship. We will take your requirements and help you shortlist suitable candidates who already have great employability skills such as punctuality, confidence and a willingness to learn.
You can also take the student on as a placement before offering them an apprenticeship, so you can see how that student can fit into your business.
Step One: Find an Apprentice
There are a number of ways you can find your apprentice. You can post a job advert, just like you would if you were hiring for any other role. You can register your role on the Digital Apprenticeship Service or you can contact one of our Employability Officers who will support you in shortlisting our current students depending on your business requirements.
Step two: Set Up a DAS Account
If you haven’t already done so, you’ll need to set up a Digital Apprenticeship Service (DAS) account. If it’s the first time you’ve hired someone, you’ll also need to register for a PAYE number.
Step Three: Choose Your Apprenticeship Program
The next step is to find the most suitable apprenticeship for your business on our course finder and complete an application form. You’ll need the details of who you’ve recruited so you may want to complete this together.
Step Four: Log In to E-sign Up
It will take us a few weeks to process your application. During this time we may contact you for further information before inviting you to an Initial Assessment. We use a platform called E-sign up, and both yourself and your apprentice will receive an email inviting you to complete all paperwork through this platform.
Your apprentice may be required to complete an English and Maths assessment at this point. This assessment is done online and will be used to assess their current level of knowledge so we can support them better whilst with us.
Step Five: Attend an Onboarding Event
After all paperwork has been completed, you and your apprentice will be invited in to college. Together, we’ll review all information provided, discuss any learning needs and confirm their enrolment onto the apprenticeship program. If you’re not local to Leeds don’t worry, you can speak to our Compliance team who will look at an online option for your business instead.
As part of the enrolment process, both yourself and the apprentice will need to sign a training plan and an apprenticeship agreement. We’ll need you to also sign a contract of services to ensure funding is in place.
Once all steps are complete, your apprentice will be sent a welcome pack which will include their start date, timetable and what to expect from their first day.
Placement
Why You Should Take On a Placement Student
There are loads of reasons why placement students can support your business.
Firstly, it’s a great way to hit your social value targets. But it’s also a great way to find suitable candidates for your apprenticeships. Many of our employer partners will use placements as a shortlisting process for their apprenticeship opportunities. This way you can check their knowledge level and employability skills before deciding if they’re right for your business.
They’re also a great pair of hands. Placement students are eager to get involved and get real life experience to support their learn.
How Can I Get a Placement Student?
Finding a placement student is easy. Just contact our Employability team and let us know the type of roles you’re looking to cover. Our team will find you a current student who is the best fit for your organisation and guide you through the process to getting them on site.
Share Your Experience
How Can I Share My Experience?
We pride ourselves on delivering a varied employability package so our students have a great start into their future careers. A great way you can support is by delivering an employability session through our careers program.
From Interview skills, CV writing and sharing your experience lectures, we have a variety of ways you can support us.
These sessions are often the highlight of our students time with us as they get real-world insight to support them when they step out into the construction industry.
Take on a T Level Placement
As part of the T level course, students are required to take part in a 45 day placement to support their learning.
If you’re recruiting for a degree apprentice, it’s a great way to see how one of our students can support your business.