Apprentice FAQs

Yes. Apprenticeships are designed for people who are in full-time work (at least 30 hours a week in most cases). If you do not have a job, we can help you find one. Take a look at our Apprenticeship Vacancies page to see what we currently have on offer. If you have a job already, that’s great – most employers are very supportive.

After you’ve applied for an apprenticeship with Damar, we will contact you by phone to discuss the job role and your application. Provided you are still happy to be put forward for the job and that you meet the eligibility and employer’s criteria, we will send your CV to the employer. The employer will typically then shortlist candidates from the CVs that have been submitted and, if you are shortlisted, we will contact you again to organise an interview. Some employers hold assessment days or conduct more than one interview to ensure they are getting the right candidate for the role but we will also stay in regular contact without you throughout the process so that you know what stage you are up to.

This process can sometimes take a few weeks or even a month or two, depending on the employer’s circumstances so don’t worry if it seems to be taking a long time. If you’re ever not sure, just give our recruitment team a call on 0161 480 8171 and we can give you an update.

Working with your Damar coach and your employer, you will improve your level of knowledge, skills and understanding of your job role and of the industry that you work in. Most apprenticeships have a wide range of optional content so your qualification can be tailored to suit your needs. In addition to your main apprenticeship qualification, you may also have the opportunity to gain other qualifications such as AAT for accounting, CILEx for law and ILM for management, which will stand you in good stead when developing in your role and applying for further promotions.

The training and assessment takes place during your working hours, but you may need to do some additional work in the evenings or at the weekend, particularly if you are doing a higher apprenticeship or an apprenticeship with significant technical content such as law or accountancy. Apprentices spend at least six hours per week (on average) on off-the-job training provided by Damar and your employer.

People of all ages and educational backgrounds (including graduates) can be eligible to do an apprenticeship. The key point is that the apprenticeship must allow you to acquire substantive new knowledge, skills and behaviours that you need for your job. This means that we need to check that the content of the training is materially different from any prior qualification or previous apprenticeship that you have completed. If you decide to apply for an apprenticeship with Damar, we will always check your eligibility with you.

In addition to meeting eligibility as set out in government rules, the employer may also set criteria that they want the apprentice to meet in order to gain the role, such as having certain A-Level or GCSE grades. You can see what employers are looking for on our Apprenticeship Vacancies page.

Yes, all apprentices are paid. The current minimum rate per hour for apprentices aged under 19 or in the first year of an apprenticeship is £4.81 although most of the employers that we work with pay more than this.