Thinking about bringing an apprentice into your business? Before you hire, understanding your legal obligations is important. One question that stands out for many is: ‘How many hours can an apprentice work?’
In this blog from the experts at Damar Training, we’ll provide you with the practical guidance you need to structure your apprentice’s time so they can add real value to your business. Getting it right from the start will set your apprentice up for success and ensure you get the most out of your investment!
How many hours a week can an apprentice work?
If you’re an employer taking on an apprentice full-time, the rules surrounding how many hours they work are the same as the rules for all other employees. Apprentices and other employees cannot work more than 48 hours a week on average, and this is typically calculated over a 17-week period. As an employer, you should follow the contracts of employment and working hours guide from the government website.
However, it’s important to remember than an apprentice’s apprenticeship training must be completed within their normal contracted hours of work. Apprentices cannot be expected to complete this training during their own personal time.
Here at Damar, we design training plans that allow for incremental learning by spreading training evenly throughout the duration of the programme. Apprentices will need to dedicate around six to eight hours of their working week to apprenticeship training, but this can vary depending on the individual and the apprenticeship standard.
There are tighter restrictions for apprentices and employees who are under 18, and we’ll discuss these further down!
What is off-the-job training?
Wondering what off-the-job training means? Off-the-job training is essentially where apprentices dedicate their time, during their working hours, to learning new skills, knowledge and behaviours, away from their typical daily tasks.
Some key aspects of off-the-job training are:
- It can include a variety of activities such as attending workshops and coaching sessions, online study and shadowing
- The training must be directly relevant to the apprenticeship standard and contribute to the apprentice’s development of skills, knowledge, and behaviours
- As the employer, it is your responsibility to ensure that the apprentice receives adequate time for their off-the-job training.
Off-the-job training requirements apply when you’re taking on an apprentice or using apprenticeship training to upskill existing staff. This means that if, for example, you have promoted an employee to a line management role and they could benefit from a management apprenticeship, you will need to consider their responsibilities and the structure of their working week to allow for sufficient off-the-job training time.
Depending on what provider you choose and the structure of their training plans, you can have a high degree of flexibility to schedule these hours in a way that works best for your business. By having the ability to manage your apprentice’s schedule, you’re ensuring that they are a valuable part of your team and a long-term asset to your business.
Jo Wright, Quality of Education Divisional Manager, tells us about the importance of off-the-job training and how we implement it here at Damar Training:
“There are a lot of benefits to incremental learning and spreading off-the-job training hours out over the duration of the apprenticeship. This enables the apprentice to learn new knowledge, skills and behaviours in manageable chunks, whilst giving them the opportunity to embed this new learning and apply it in the workplace in real time.”
How many hours can an apprentice work if they are under 18?
Working hours for apprentices (and other employees) aged under 18 in the UK are more strictly regulated. This is because the law prioritises their well-being and development, with a view to preventing them from being overworked.
Apprentices under 18 cannot work more than eight hours in a single day, equating to a limitation of no more than 40 hours per week. This is a firm limit and isn’t subject to averaging out over a 17-week period. However, there are some very specific situations where you might ask your young apprentice to work long hours, even if they are under 18. This is only allowed if:
- There is no one aged 18 or older available to do the work
- The extra hours are necessary due to a sudden surge in demand or to maintain essential services
- The individual’s education or training is not be negatively impacted by these extra hours.
What breaks are apprentices entitled to?
As an employer of an apprentice, you’re expected to provide them with breaks, just as you would any other employee. Apprentices are entitled to a minimum of one 20-minute break when working more than six hours in a day. Here is a breakdown of the minimum rest periods:
Aged 18 and over:
- Daily rest break – Minimum of 20 mins when working more than six hours in a day
- Between workdays – 11 hours of rest between finishing one workday and starting the next
- Weekly rest – 24 hours of rest every 7 days or 48 hours of rest every 14 days.
Aged 17 and under:
- Daily rest break – Minimum of 30 mins when working more than 4.5 hours in a day
- Between workdays – 12 hours of rest between finishing one workday and starting the next
- Weekly rest – 48 hours of consecutive hours of rest each week.
Although apprentices and other employees are entitled to rest days, it is not guaranteed that this rest day will be a weekend. Weekend shifts are an integral part of many roles which people, including apprentices, undertake.
What about annual leave?
As well as breaks, you’re also responsible for providing apprentices with the appropriate annual leave time. Apprentices in the UK are entitled to the same annual leave as other employees, which is a minimum of 20 days.
It is up to the employer whether bank holidays are part of this 20-day minimum or are offered as additional annual leave.
If your apprentice works part-time, their holiday entitlement will be calculated on a pro-rata basis, just as it would for any other employee..
How long do apprenticeships last?
Apprenticeships last for a minimum of eight months, and in some cases can take several years to complete. The duration will depend on the apprenticeship programme, training provider and the apprentice’s individual circumstances.
For more information, have a read of our blog ‘How long do apprenticeships last’.
Build your future workforce with Damar
Hopefully, this blog has answered your question: ‘How many hours can an apprentice work?’ Here at Damar, we passionately believe in the power of apprenticeships. Enabling organisations to achieve their full potential since 1980, we’re here to help you develop new talent, upskill existing staff and create a more diverse and creative workforce.