Level 3 Electrical Apprenticeships

In England, there are two apprenticeship options for becoming an electrician. These are:

• The Electrical Installation and Maintenance apprenticeship is a 4-year apprenticeship for the installation, maintenance, and repair of electrical systems in industrial, commercial, and residential environments.  The AM2S (Achievement Measure 2) is the end assessment and achievement of this apprenticeship can lead to an ECS Gold Card. Learn more > 
• The Domestic Electrician apprenticeship is a 3-year apprenticeship for the installation and maintenance of electrical services within a domestic setting. The AM2D is the final assessment which can lead to an ECS Domestic Electrician Gold Card. Learn more >

Both Wales and Northern Ireland maintain a single Electrician apprenticeship.

Specialist Level 3 Apprenticeships

ECA has also assisted employers in specialist areas to develop apprenticeships to provide structured training for people interested in careers in Fire, Emergency and Security Systems (FESS), Network infrastructure and Power Distribution and Controls.

All standards and assessment plans can be viewed and accessed here >

Higher and Degree Apprenticeships

ECA also supports higher and degree apprenticeships, both as direct entry points into the industry and as career progression for individuals already working for one of our members. They combine work with study and may include a work-based, academic, or combined qualification or a professional qualification relevant to the industry. 

Higher apprenticeships go from level 4 to 7 and are equivalent to a foundation degree and above. Examples which are directly relevant to ECA Members at Level 4 include Building Services Engineering Senior Technician, Building Energy Management Systems Controls Engineer, and Automation and Controls Engineering Technician.

Degree apprenticeships are available at levels 6 and 7 and are equivalent to a full bachelor’s or master’s degree. Some are electrically or engineering services specific, whereas others are more generic but still open to industry employers to apply within their own businesses. Examples at Level 6 include Building Services Engineer, Project Manager and Quantity Surveyor.

Currently, higher and degree apprenticeships tend to be more readily available in England. ECA Members in Wales, Northern Ireland and Isle of Man can however contact us for confirmation of the positions there. 

To find out more, click here >

The UK apprenticeship levy

Since 2017, most funding for apprenticeships has come from the UK Government’s statutory levy. HMRC raises the levy from businesses with an annual pay-bill of more than £3m. The levy operates across the whole UK, but does not apply in non-UK jurisdictions, such as the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man.

Control of how levy funds are spent differs depending on where in the UK you are based. In England, levy-paying employers can claim back their levy contributions when hiring an apprentice, whilst apprenticeships for smaller (non-levy paying) businesses are funded using money from the unclaimed levy pot. 

In Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, by contrast, devolved governments control funding allocation themselves, entering into direct financing arrangements with individual training providers or provider consortia. Levels of funding can also differ significantly across the UK, with apprenticeships widely perceived to be better funded in England than elsewhere.

The above funding arrangements typically cover training costs only. Other costs associated with taking on an apprentice (e.g. wage and non-wage labour costs, costs of supervision, travel, tools, PPE, etc.) tend to be picked up mostly or wholly by the apprentice’s employer. In our Recharging Electrical Skills Charter, ECA makes the case for extra public support for employers’ non-training costs, especially for smaller businesses.

Employer incentive payments

Some national governments continue to offer incentive payments for employers, although the amounts and conditions attached to these vary between different parts of the UK and have also changed over time. None is as generous any longer as in the aftermath of the COVID pandemic, for example. Links to apprenticeship financial information from national governments are provided below. 

Additional local support schemes

In addition, local or regional schemes do pop up now and again. These can offer extra financial and/ or other support to encourage businesses in a particular area to hire an apprentice. Such arrangements also tend to be under-advertised and short-lived, however. Involvement with ECA’s regional networks can therefore be useful in giving member businesses better awareness and access to less visible local support schemes of this sort.

Further assistance from ECA

More information about the practicalities of securing apprenticeship finance in England can be found in the '6. Working with a training provider' section of this page.

ECA Members with any other queries about apprenticeship funding – whether UK-wide, national or local – can contact us on the Education & Skills helpline.

For employment related issues, ECA Members can contact the Employee Relations helpline

Useful links

• Paying the apprenticeship levy (UK Government)
• Apprenticeship funding and employer incentives in England
• Apprenticeship funding and employer incentives in Scotland
• Apprenticeship funding and employer incentives in Wales
• Apprenticeship funding and employer incentives in Northern Ireland
• Apprenticeship funding and employer incentives in Isle of Man (2024) 

Apprentices can be new or current employees, but they must be aged 16 or over and combine work with study to gain skills and knowledge in a specific job.  

There are different ways to employ apprentices in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland and you should check the relevant guidance linked below.

• Apprentice in Scotland - All employers are advised to review the information from The Scottish Electrical Charitable Training Trust (SECTT). Visit the SECTT website >
• Apprentice in Wales
• Apprentice in Northern Ireland

In England if you want to hire an apprentice there are six steps you should take:

1. Decide on an apprenticeship standard. (See ’choosing an apprenticeship’ on this page.)
2. See if you are eligible for funding. (See 'apprenticeship funding' on this page.)
3. Choose a training provider that offers the apprenticeships that match the framework you have chosen. (See 'working with a training provider' on this page.)
4. Advertise for new starters 
5. Begin the process of selection. Hold interviews as you normally would for other roles.
6. Make an apprenticeship agreement and training plan with your chosen apprentice. 

You may find this pre-employment checklist useful to ensure you are ready for your apprentice. 

Advertise for new starters

Training providers can use the Recruit an apprentice service part of the online apprenticeship service for posting and managing apprenticeship vacancies on behalf of employers. Vacancies advertised through "Recruit an apprentice" appear on the "Find an apprenticeship" service for candidates to search.

The employer and training provider should agree the extent to which the provider will be involved in the recruitment process. Some providers will offer to manage the recruitment process from start to finish, reducing the time and resources required from the employer. 

Learn more on the gov.uk website >

Application forms

For a template apprentice application form click here >

Apprentice Pay

Apprentices are entitled to receive the minimum rate of the National Minimum Wage. The relevant rate differs according to the apprentice’s age and whether they have completed the first year of their apprenticeship. There are several factors to consider when setting your apprentice pay rate. These include:

• The statutory minimum rate set by the government for apprentices which is normally increased in April every year.
• The JIB industry rates.
• The real living wage which can also be paid to apprentices.

Read the full list of all the rates detailed above here > 

Apprenticeship Agreements

Apprenticeship agreements must satisfy certain conditions contained in the Apprenticeships, Skills, Children and Learning Act 2009.

ECA have produced separate and dedicated apprenticeship agreement templates and guidance to meet the criteria for England, Wales and Northern Ireland as well as specific documents for Fire, Emergency and Security Systems (FESS).

Click for ECA template Apprenticeship Agreements and guidance for England, Wales and Northern Ireland > 

Click for Template Apprenticeship Agreements and guidance for the Fire, Emergency and Security Systems (FESS) >

Training plan

A training plan (formerly known as a commitment plan) should be signed by the employer, the apprentice and the training provider. It sets out the training to be delivered and the commitment of all three parties. The apprenticeship funding rules detail what information is needed in the training plan and all parties must keep a current signed and dated version. The training plan is a working document and must be kept up to date as the apprenticeship progresses.

The apprenticeship agreement and training plan must be different documents. 

Download template training plan here >

Further assistance from ECA

For any other queries about apprenticeships, or education and training related issues, ECA Members can contact us on the Education & Skills helpline. 

For employment related issues, ECA Members can contact the Employee Relations helpline

Useful links

• New Electrical Apprentice Rates: what you need to know
• Government advice on hiring an apprentice in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland
• Gov.uk - hiring an apprentice

Hundreds of organisations around the UK offer to assist employers with training their apprentices. This includes both delivering ‘off-the-job’ (e.g. knowledge/ classroom-based) elements of the apprenticeship and supporting the apprentice and their employer in performing, recording and validating ‘on-the-job’ (i.e. competence/ workplace-based) elements.

With Unite the Union, ECA co-founded and remains actively involved in the governance of JTL: an independent charity and the UK’s largest provider of electrotechnical and other engineering services apprenticeships. ECA members use many other apprentice providers, however, and we are committed to collaborating with all good providers, in the interests of the sector, to enhance the overall take up and quality of apprenticeships. 

Choosing a training provider

Registers of approved apprenticeship training providers are maintained by different UK national governments and can generally be accessed online (see further below). These include both independent training providers (ITPs) and public-sector further education (FE) colleges. In non-UK jurisdictions (e.g. Channel Islands, Isle of Man), apprenticeship provision in each case is typically concentrated within just one government-funded college.

The size, capability and quality of apprenticeship training providers can vary. Some information about how well a particular provider is performing (or is perceived to be performing) is available via online ratings or – perhaps, more reliably – by reading official inspection reports from Ofsted (England), Education Scotland, Estyn (Wales) and the Education and Training Inspectorate (Northern Ireland). Inspection reports typically cover the whole of a particular organisation’s training provision, and so – except in the case of specialist providers – might offer only limited insights into the quality specifically of their electrotechnical delivery. ECA Members can, of course, make use of our regional networks to draw on other members’ experiences to help inform their own choice of training provider.

Recognition of an apprentice’s previous learning and experience

Quite often, individuals will have previously acquired some relevant learning and/or experience before starting their apprenticeship. This might include studying a classroom-based electrical course in college, for example, or a period on site working as a labourer or ‘mate’.

Providers should take this sort of thing into account: a process known as ‘recognition of prior learning’ (RPL), or sometimes ‘recognition of prior experiential learning’ (RPEL). The effect of RPL can be to reduce, to some degree, the duration of the apprenticeship – as well as the amount of public money the provider can draw down to fund training costs for the apprentice. 

Providers are sometimes reluctant to offer much, or any, deduction for RPL, and it is a matter of fact and degree in each case how much in the way of relevant knowledge or skills an individual has acquired to justify such a deduction. ECA Members with concerns that their apprentice is not receiving due credit for previous learning and/or experience can contact us for further assistance (see below).

Responsibilities 

Successful completion of an apprenticeship is a joint undertaking in which all three parties (the learner, the training provider and the employer) need to play their full part. The UK Government’s Apprenticeships website sets out the main roles and responsibilities that each party needs to perform. Some examples of the responsibilities listed there include:

Training provider’s responsibilities: 

• Discussing the apprentice’s training plan with the apprentice and their employer and making sure it accounts for the apprentice’s prior learning, English and Maths needs and any extra learning support;
• Explaining how the apprentice’s off-the-job training will be delivered, managing the quality and delivery of this training and making sure it is logged; 
• Taking responsibility for regular progress reviews between all parties at least every 12 weeks; 
• Making sure the apprentice and employer know how to raise concerns or complaints about the apprentice’s training.

Employer’s responsibilities:

• Contributing to the apprentice’s training plan; 
• Supporting the apprentice’s learning needs during their apprenticeship; 
• Giving the apprentice time to complete their off-the-job training during normal working hours;
• Taking part in regular progress reviews with the apprentice and training provider at least every 12 weeks.

Through both our regional networks and national forums (e.g. Skills Committee and Employer Skills Surgeries), ECA aims to support Members in undertaking their important role as apprentice employers successfully, and in so doing grow their future skilled workforce. See also our guidance on Being a good practice apprentice employer.

Complaints

If you are dissatisfied with any aspect of your apprenticeship provider’s performance, you should raise this with them at the first opportunity. Typically, these will be sorted out without the need to invoke any formal process. Nevertheless, all providers are expected to have a formal complaints procedure in place, and make information about this procedure readily available – including: 

• What you need to send to make your complaint, for example a completed form or written evidence;
• Where to send your complaint;
• How the organisation will treat your complaint, for example who will see it and possible outcomes;
• When you can expect a decision.

Further assistance from ECA

ECA Members with questions or concerns about working with a training provider, or any other aspect of apprenticeships, can contact us at Education & Skills helpline.

For employment related issues, ECA Members can contact the Employee Relations helpline 

Useful links

• Find and apprenticeship provider in England (Installation/ Maintenance Electrician standard)
• Find an apprenticeship provider in England (other standards)
• Find an apprenticeship provider in Scotland
• ‘Tier 1’ apprenticeship providers in Wales
• Find an apprenticeship provider in Northern Ireland
• Recognition of prior learning official guidance (issued by government in England)

The ECS Apprentice card is for students undertaking any electrotechnical advanced apprenticeship.

It allows apprentices to be formally recognised and work on site to gain valuable industry experience in support of their training. The cards are issued under the strict understanding that a formal industry training programme is being undertaken and that all work the apprentice carries out is under supervision.

For JIB registered apprentices, staged apprentice cards are provided to show progression.

Apprentices registered with the JIB will have JIB Registered printed on their ECS card.

For apprentices in other (non-electrotechnical) disciplines, cards may be obtained from the relevant scheme provider – for example, PMES for plumbing apprentices and SKILLcard for HVAC apprentices.

Further assistance from ECA

For any other queries about apprenticeships, or education and training related issues, ECA Members can contact us on the Education & Skills helpline. 

For employment related issues, ECA Members can contact the Employee Relations helpline 

Useful links

• The Apprentice ECS card >

As the employer of an apprentice, you have an essential role and the opportunity to make a real difference to their progress and their personal and professional development. This is part of a three-way partnership between you, your apprentice and the training provider.

Below are some of the areas where your input and support is vital for a successful apprenticeship.

Engage with the Apprenticeship Programme 

In England, your apprentice will be following an apprenticeship standard: this sets out explicitly the knowledge, skills and behaviours that each apprentice is required to develop. There is also an assessment plan that sets out in detail the specific elements that the apprentice will be assessed on. Other parts of the UK operate apprenticeship frameworks, rather than standards, but the same employer good practice principles still apply.  

Ask the apprentice and training provider to keep you up to date on which aspects are being covered and any issues or concerns. Many training providers welcome interest and active support from employers but may not have a structured process to support this. A good employer will build a relationship with their apprentice’s training officer and get involved in regular progress reviews.

Help the apprentice apply what they learn

Your training provider will create a learning programme to deliver the apprenticeship. Whilst the apprenticeship standard (or framework/ qualification) sets out the areas to be covered, you should also ensure that your apprentice is clear about your own expectations and any objectives that you expect the apprentice to meet.

As the employer, you should support the apprentice throughout their learning and help them identify how the skills and knowledge they are developing can be applied in the workplace. It’s vital that apprentices are given the opportunity to try out their skills and receive feedback to help them improve. A good employer will create these opportunities and recognise that the apprentice will need extra time to practise and build their skills.

Enable off-the-job training 

It is a requirement that all apprentices spend time in off-the-job training. Off-the-job training can be flexible in terms of frequency and content.  As the employer, you will need to ensure that time is made available for this, and help your apprentice record their off-the-job learning in their portfolio or the recording system used by the training provider.

A good employer will reinforce the importance of off-the-job training to the apprentice and try to build links between this and the apprentice’s daily work.

Provide regular feedback

The apprenticeship will be a major part of your apprentice’s work-life for several years.  As the employer, you will need to provide regular feedback to the apprentice, highlighting what is going well and areas where more practice or learning is required. Your training provider will support you with this and should be scheduling regular reviews. A good employer will make time to take part in regular reviews and support any actions that come out of these. 

Support your apprentice and seek help when required

As with all employees. sometimes life issues can impact your apprentice’s performance. Having regular reviews and open communication with your apprentice can prevent issues building up.

For issues around learning and progress, seek help from your training provider. The chances are that they will have experienced many issues before and can work with you to put support processes in place.

For personal or mental health issues, a wide range of resources and advice is available. ECA has collated many of these on a   Mental Health webpage. Good employers will encourage their apprentice to seek support and consider whether anything can be done in terms of the workplace or job content which could help the apprentice.

Misconduct, poor performance and/or ill health issues can all affect apprentices, just as much as other employees. ECA Members can access further information about these and other employment matters via specific apprentice and general employment issues webpages. If you don’t find all the information you need there, our Member Employee Relations helpline offers tailored advice and support to suit your particular situation.

Consider what comes next

Both you and the apprentice will have invested several years in the apprenticeship. During that time, you will have built a relationship with your apprentice and an understanding of their career aims. The end of the apprenticeship can sometimes be a moment of differing expectations. About what comes next.

Good employers will have already discussed possible further development and work opportunities with their apprentice, with the aim of ensuring that  the apprentice will remain a valued employee once they complete and achieved qualified status.

Further assistance from ECA

Accessing ECA’s regional networks provides Members with an opportunity to exchange information and learn from other employers with successful track records in employing and supporting apprentices. ECA runs regular Member-only online Skills Surgeries, which often include apprentice related topics. 

For any other queries about apprenticeships, or education and training related issues, ECA Members can contact us on the Education & Skills helpline. 

For employment related issues, ECA Members can contact the Employee Relations helpline

Useful links and further information

• ECA skills surgery blog on employers’ role in supporting apprentices 
• Employ an apprentice for your business: step by step 
• Improving apprentice experience - Learning and Work Institute
• Go to: 'Working with a training provider' on this page
• Go to: 'Apprentice employment issues' on this page

Apprentices play a crucial role. A steady flow of new talent is essential for business sustainability and growth. For an individual business, employing apprentices can also provide a positive net return on investment.

For many ECA Members, there is nothing new about the temporary secondment or ‘loan’ of employees from one business (the lender) to another (the borrower). Sometimes this can include apprentices. Typically, this occurs either where the lender has a temporary shortfall in its workload, or where limits in the range of work which the lender performs (e.g. domestic only) make it difficult for its apprentices to complete the standard apprenticeship curriculum. In both situations, the borrower helps to fill the gap and keep the apprentice working and learning.

Further assistance from ECA

ECA regional staff have a wide range of local knowledge and contacts which can be placed at your disposal, whether your interest is as a potential lender or potential borrower. This can include looking at including apprentices as part of a broader Loan Labour agreement or entering into a stand-alone apprentice secondment arrangement.

ECA specialist staff can also assist with expert advice and guidance on getting the detailed arrangements right. For more information, ECA Members can access our in-depth guide, entitled ‘Keeping Apprentices in Employment’.

One of the key recommendations in the ECA guide is the importance also of early dialogue with the apprentice’s college/training provider, as they will need to be persuaded that any temporary secondment will support the apprentice’s learning and is, in a more general sense, in their best interests.

For any other queries about apprenticeships, or education and training related issues, ECA Members can contact us on the Education & Skills helpline. 

For employment related issues, ECA Members can contact the Employee Relations helpline 

Most apprenticeships are beneficial for both apprentices and employers, but there may occasionally be problems. Below we explore some of the common issues and how to prevent some of the risks.

Issuing the right contract  

Using the wrong type of contract is the main pitfall for employers as it can make dismissing an apprentice, even for gross misconduct, high risk.

Apprentices have the benefit of normal employment law protections such as the right to claim unfair dismissal, a redundancy payment and protection from discrimination. However, in law there are two types of apprentice contracts

• Common law apprenticeships; and
• Apprentice agreements, in England pursuant to a recognised approved standard apprenticeship and in Wales a pursuant to a recognised framework.

Common law apprenticeships can be created orally, and even without the use of terminology such as “apprentice” or “apprenticeship”. The defining feature is that training is the main purpose of the arrangement. Apprenticeships are for a fixed term and cannot be terminated early except for exceptional and rare circumstances. These might include:

• an unexpected event such as a fire destroying business premises.
• gross misconduct for which there is a higher threshold of poor conduct than ordinary employees. Case law suggests that the misconduct must be so serious that it is impossible to carry on teaching the apprentice and that gross misconduct (which would justify the summary dismissal of an ordinary employee) may not be sufficient to justify early termination.
• an express term in the contract for early termination on redundancy grounds.
• by mutual consent, but an employer might want to consider a settlement agreement. 

If a common law apprenticeship is wrongfully terminated early, the apprentice will have an action for wrongful dismissal. The remedy for such a claim can be large and could include enhanced contractual damages to compensate for the effect on future career prospects and earning potential, in addition to lost earnings for the remainder of the fixed term. This can amount to a very significant amount of money. The termination would also be treated as a dismissal for unfair dismissal purposes (if the apprentice has sufficient service for the right to make such a claim).

Apprenticeship agreements are recommended because unlike under a common law contract of apprenticeship, an apprentice can be dismissed in the same way as any other employee.

ECA have template apprenticeship agreements to comply with England, Wales and Northern Ireland. 

ECA offer support and guidance for disciplinary and redundancy processes on our Employee Relations page.

Termination of Apprenticeship agreements

An apprenticeship agreement is for a fixed term and there is no obligation to retain an apprentice beyond this term.  

The ending of a fixed term contract provides the potential for an unfair dismissal claim. To mitigate employers will need to be able to show a potentially fair reason for dismissal and follow a fair process. In many instances this will be "some other substantial reason" and the employer will be able to say that the apprenticeship was a one-off agreement and there is no need for it to be renewed once it has been completed and a qualification obtained. At the end of the fixed term the apprentice will not be deemed redundant if they do not get a new contract and therefore, they are not entitled to redundancy pay.

• Template Letter: Invitation to meeting RE end of apprenticeship
• Template Letter: Confirmation of expiry of apprenticeship

We recommend you contact ECA Employee Relations helpline before dismissing an apprentice.

Increased risk of age discrimination

The risk of age discrimination may be particularly relevant to the employment of apprentices.

While it may be tempting to place age limits on applicants, on the basis that government funding for apprentices’ training is tiered according to age – with greater funding being allocated to younger apprentices – such an approach could directly discriminate against older applicants, unless the employer can show that the limit is objectively justified.

Employers should also consider whether the terms offered to apprentices are consistent with other employees of similar status and length of service. Apprentices as a group are likely to be younger than the rest of the workforce, so any difference in terms would generally need to be objectively justified to avoid a risk of indirect age discrimination.

Working hours and rest breaks for young workers

There are legal limits to the hour’s employees under 18 years of age can work. These are set out in the Working Time Regulations 1998.

Workers aged (16-17) must not work more than:

• 8 hours a day
• 40 hours a week

They must also have, as a minimum:

• 30-minute break if their working day is longer than 4.5 hours
• 12 hours' rest in any 24-hour period in which they work (for example, between one working day and the next)
• 48 hours' (2 days) rest taken together, each week or – if there is a good business reason why this is not possible – at least 36 hours' rest, with the remaining 12 hours taken as soon as possible afterwards.

There is no provision to opt-out of these maximum hours for employees aged under 18.

For employees over the age of 18, they should not work more than 48 hours per week on average and should have 24 hours rest in a working week. All employees working over six hours in a day are entitled to a 20-minute rest break during the day. The regulations prohibit this break being taken before or at the end of their shift.

Night working

Young workers (aged 16-17)  must not work during the 'restricted period'. The restricted period is:

• between 10pm and 6am if their contract does not say
• between 11pm and 7am if their contract allows for them to work after 10pm

Further assistance from ECA

For any other queries about apprenticeships, or education and training related issues, ECA Members can contact us on the Education & Skills helpline. 

For employment related issues, ECA Members can contact the Employee Relations helpline 

Useful links

• Supporting your apprentice