Hiring apprentices – What’s the process? 2026 Edition

So, you’ve been thinking about hiring a marketing apprentice. You’ve read a few articles, maybe clicked around some training provider websites, and somehow feel more confused than when you started.

Here’s the reality: hiring an apprentice isn’t complicated — but it is different to hiring a ready-made marketer. And if you go into it expecting a fully formed professional from day one, you’re setting yourself up for disappointment.

In this article, I’m going to give you a straight from reality break down of how the process works and what to expect.

Decide What You Actually Need

Before you even think about funding or providers, ask yourself a simple question:

What problem are you trying to solve?

An apprentice works best when you’re building long-term marketing capacity — not when you’re trying to plug a senior-level skills gap on a junior salary.

Entry-level roles tend to work brilliantly. Trying to turn an apprenticeship into a shortcut to an experienced hire rarely does.

Define the responsibilities clearly. The clearer the role, the easier everything else becomes.

The Rules — You Don’t Need to Read a Government Novel

You don’t need to memorise funding rules or sit through a 300-page guidance document.

What you do need to know is this:

• Apprentices are employees with the same workplace rights as everyone else.
• They must be at least 16 years old — there’s no upper age limit.
• Pay must meet at least National Minimum Wage for their age group, currently £7.55 per hour but increasing to £8 per hour in April 2026 (though many employers pay more).

Everything else — eligibility checks, compliance, paperwork — should be guided by your training provider. If they’re not helping with that, you’re probably working with the wrong one.

Choosing a Training Provider (Without Getting Sold the Wrong Thing)

Some advice says you should pick the apprenticeship standard first. Honestly, most employers don’t know where to start with this — and that’s fine.

A good provider will look at your business, your goals, and your role before recommending anything.

Ask questions that actually matter:

• How is the training delivered?
• What support do managers get?
• What are their outcomes and completion rates?
• Do learners actually become useful members of a team — or just pass assessments?

Flashy slides mean nothing if the programme doesn’t work in the real world.

Get the Standard Right — Or Everything Becomes Harder

This is the bit most employers underestimate.

Apprenticeship standards are built around real job roles. When the role matches the standard, things run smoothly. When it doesn’t, you’ll feel like you’re forcing a square peg into a round hole for the next year and a half.

We’ve seen hundreds of learners stuck on the wrong programmes. It wastes time, energy, and goodwill on all sides.

Spend the extra hour upfront getting this right. It saves months of frustration later. Review proposed standards to get a general understanding of what they involve.

If you want to explore the different standards, you can use the government portal to find standards that may be relevant to your role. But again, use your provider for advice if you’re stuck.

Let’s Talk About Money (Because Everyone Eventually Does)

Training costs vary depending on the apprenticeship standard.

If your payroll is over £3 million per year, you’re probably already paying into the Apprenticeship Levy — which means you could have a funding pot sitting there ready to use.

If you’re not a levy payer (typically SMEs with fewer than 50 staff or payrolls under £3 million), the UK government will either fully fund the training or cover up to 95% of the cost. In some cases, you may need to make a small co-investment contribution, usually a few hundred pounds.

The biggest misconception? That apprenticeships are “cheap hires”. They’re not. They’re a structured development route. The real return comes from building someone who grows with your business, not from trying to save money in the short term.

Get Your Team On Board

One of the quickest ways to derail an apprenticeship is poor internal understanding.

Managers need to know:

• The apprentice will be learning alongside working
• They’ll need a bit guidance, not just tasks
• Progress happens over months, not days

A decent provider will help you prep internally — whether that’s manager briefings, onboarding sessions, or ongoing check-ins.

IMPORTANT NOTE – A lot of employers want someone to “hit the ground running”. In reality, that rarely happens. Even experienced hires need time to adapt to your brand, tone of voice, systems, and internal processes — and often come with habits you’ll need to unpick.

When you hire the right apprentice, the difference between them and a junior hire is usually smaller than people expect. Both require support — just in different areas.

Recruitment — Yes, Most Providers Help With This Now

A lot of training providers offer recruitment support, and in many cases, it doesn’t cost you anything extra.

Typically, they’ll advertise the role, screen applicants, and send you a shortlist. You still make the final hiring decision, but it cuts out a lot of admin.

One reality check though: apprentices aren’t polished finished products. They’re early-career talent. If you approach recruitment expecting a “hit the ground running” marketing manager, you’re going to be frustrated.

If you approach it expecting potential, you’ll build something far more valuable.

The Paperwork (It’s Not As Painful As It Used To Be)

Before the apprentice starts, you’ll sign a few documents:

• An apprenticeship agreement
• A training plan (Commitment Statement)
• A standard employment contract

Most of this is digital now, and your provider should guide you through it step by step.

Once They Start — This Is Where the Real Work Begins

Apprenticeships usually run between 12 and 18 months, depending on the programme and provider.

During that time, you’ll work alongside the provider and their coach to support development, track progress, and make sure learning actually translates into real marketing capability.

The goal isn’t just completion. It’s building someone who becomes genuinely useful to your business — and stays.

What Next?

If you’re seriously thinking about hiring a marketing apprentice, don’t overcomplicate it. Start with a few simple steps:

1. Sense-check the role – What support do you actually need over the next 12–18 months? Focus on tasks, not fancy job titles.

2. Decide your goal – Are you building new marketing capacity, developing someone internally, or hiring into a junior role?

3. Speak to a provider early – A quick conversation can save hours of guesswork around standards and funding.

4. Get your manager aligned – Make sure whoever supports the apprentice understands expectations from day one.

5. Plan recruitment – Decide whether you want help sourcing candidates or prefer to run the process yourself.

6. Think about onboarding – Clear first tasks, access to systems, and a bit of structure go a long way.

If you want to talk through whether it’s the right move for your business, our team at The Marketing Trainer is happy to help. Drop us a message via the website, email info@themarketingtrainer.co.uk, or complete the form below and we’ll get back to you.