What is a Traineeship?

A Traineeship is a skills development programme that includes a work placement. It can last from 6 weeks up to one year (although most will last for 6-12 weeks).

Traineeships help 16 to 24 year olds – or 25 year olds with an education, health and care (EHC) plan – get ready for an Apprenticeship or job if they don’t have the appropriate skills or experience yet.

Benefits to employers

A Traineeship:

• Is flexible, can be sector focused and is funded by the government
• Allows you to design a programme that suits both the needs of your business and the needs of the trainee
• Can help you increase capacity and productivity
• Allows you to help tackle youth unemployment
• Is a route into an apprenticeship
• Allows you to get to know and work with young people prior to recruiting apprentices/employees/Kickstart placements

Employers who make new work placement opportunities available could also receive an incentive payment of £1000 per learner, for up to 10 learners.

When offering a traineeship work placement, you need to provide:

• Safe, meaningful and high-quality work experience
• A minimum of 70 hours of work experience – but no more than 240 hours for benefit claimants
• Constructive feedback and advice to the trainee
• An interview for an apprenticeship or job in your business at the end of the traineeship if one is available
• An exit interview at the end of the traineeship with meaningful written feedback if no job is available supported by a reference.

The traineeship is free to your business, but you may support trainees with expenses such as transport and meals.

Designing the programme

The training provider will assess the needs of the trainee. Trainees may need pre-employment training before starting work experience.

You and the provider will then plan and agree:

• The days the trainee works
• How the programme will be delivered

Traineeships are flexible. You can adjust the programme as you go to make sure you and the trainee get the most out of it.

Find out more and read the Traineeships Employers Guide now.