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Before any apprenticeship can start, the employer needs an apprenticeship service account. It is the government's online system for managing apprenticeship funding, approving training providers and confirming apprentice details. Setting it up is not complicated, but it helps to know the order of the steps and who in your school or trust should own them. This guide takes you through it.
In most schools this sits with the business manager, HR lead or finance officer. In a multi-academy trust it is usually managed centrally so that funding and approvals are visible across the trust. Whoever creates it, make sure at least two people have access so that approvals are never held up by one absence.
Many delays come from providers not having the right permissions. Once you have chosen NCE, granting permission to add apprentice records means we can prepare the details for you to review, rather than you entering everything yourself. You still approve every record before it goes live.
Yes. Every employer needs an account to reserve co-investment funding or to receive a levy transfer, regardless of size.
Yes. A trust can link the relevant legal entity and PAYE schemes to one account, which gives central teams a clearer view of spend and approvals.
Your Partnerships Manager can talk you through account setup, check that permissions are in place and flag anything that needs approving so that start dates are not missed.
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