At Cheshire College, we are committed to working with our employers and supporting them whether it’s finding them an apprentice, upskilling current staff or providing services for your business.
We’re proud to work with over 500 local, national and international employers, building strong partnerships that help businesses develop the skills and talent they need. We offer a range of services designed to support your business, while working closely with employers to prepare students and apprentices for the workplace.
Through our 14 Employer Advisory Boards, businesses play a direct role in shaping our curriculum. Their insight into skills gaps, industry changes and workforce needs helps us keep our courses relevant and gives students and apprentices the practical skills employers are looking for.We value the expertise our employer partners bring and recognise their involvement through dedicated events, including our annual Advisory Board Celebration Dinners.
The region’s largest provider of post-16 education, trusted by employers across Cheshire and beyond.
We offer bespoke training programmes co-designed with your business to address real skills gaps and help you meet your business goals.
Over £164 million invested in state-of-the-art, industry-standard facilities.
A strong focus on sustainability and green skills to future-proof your workforce.
The region’s largest provider of post-16 education, trusted by employers across Cheshire and beyond.
We offer bespoke training programmes co-designed with your business to address real skills gaps and help you meet your business goals.
Over £164 million invested in state-of-the-art, industry-standard facilities.
A strong focus on sustainability and green skills to future-proof your workforce.
Supporting employers to create opportunities for young people through apprenticeships and employment. Employers may be able to access multiple incentives for the same young person where eligibility criteria are met.
YOUNG APPRENTICE INCENTIVE
Employers can receive £1,000 for taking on an apprentice aged 16 to 18 years old, or aged 19 to 24 years old with an Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan or who is a care leaver.
FOUNDATION APPRENTICESHIP INCENTIVE
Employers offering Foundation Apprenticeships to young people aged 16–21 (or eligible 22–24-year-olds) can receive up to £2,000. Payments support progression to a further apprenticeship.
NON-LEVY JOBS GRANT
From October 2026, employers that do not pay the apprenticeship levy could receive up to £2,000 for hiring an apprentice aged 16 to 24 (and new employees within the previous three months).
YOUTH JOBS GRANT
From June 2026, businesses can receive £3,000 for hiring an individual aged 18 to 24 who has been receiving Universal Credit and looking for work for six months or more.
National Insurance Contributions
Employers do not pay National Insurance contributions for apprentices aged under 25 years (or any employee aged 21 or below) if their salary is below £50,270 (2025/26 rate).
Funding for Under 25s
Non-levy employers do not pay training costs for apprentices aged under 25. For those aged 25+, the cost is 5% (or 0% if using a levy transfer).
Care Leavers’ Bursary
Eligible apprentices aged 16–24 can receive an additional £3,000 from the government in addition to their salary, tax free.
We are committed to building strong relationships with employers and organisations across Cheshire and beyond, delivering tailored solutions that meet each businesses unique needs. With a proven track record of exceptional results, partnering with us means gaining a trusted ally in developing your workforce.
Contact our expert business development team to arrange a call or in-person meeting and discover how working with Cheshire College can benefit your business and your employees.
Email: employers@ccsw.ac.uk / Phone: 01244 656455
Hiring an apprentice has never been easier, as our experienced apprenticeships team is here to support you every step of the way. We can help you create job adverts, manage the initial recruitment and onboarding process, and screen CVs to ensure that the apprentice is the right fit for your business.
We also provide guidance and support about funding opportunities, helping you to minimise recruitment costs while bringing motivated, skilled apprentices into your team.
Simply get in touch with our team to get started! We’ll work with you to identify the apprenticeship programmes that best meet your business needs and help you find the right solution to grow your workforce.
Email: employers@ccsw.ac.uk / Phone: 01244 656455
If you’re interested in joining one of our Employer Advisory Boards, we’d love to hear from you. Your experience and insight can play a vital role in shaping the skills training delivered across your local area, with feedback from our meetings directly influencing the development of our curriculum.
To get involved, email employers@ccsw.ac.uk and one of our experienced Business Development Executives will be in touch to discuss next steps and help identify the advisory board that best matches your skills and experience.
We offer a wide range of flexible training options designed to support employers and help you develop the skills your business needs. From short, targeted courses to in-depth qualifications, you can tailor training to address current skills gaps while supporting your business’s long-term goals.
Popular training options include:
Funding is available through the Apprenticeship Support Programme to help small and medium-sized businesses take on apprentices in clean-energy related sectors.
If you own a local business, or work for a Cheshire West & Chester company in energy production or other carbon-intensive industries, we’d love to hear from you. Get in touch to learn how you can hire an apprentice, build future skills, and benefit from tailored project support.
The Employer Support Fund (ESF) helps reduce barriers for businesses hosting T Level students by covering genuine placement-related costs. Funding can be used for essential equipment and materials, workspace setup, software licences, and administrative support, as well as staff time for induction, training, supervision, or any specialist training or certification needed to support students. Employers offering Construction and Health T Level placements are eligible regardless of size, while funding for other T Levels is available to small and medium-sized enterprises.
The ESF helps employers invest in their future workforce with reduced financial risk while supporting the long-term use of equipment and systems purchased through the fund. Funding is allocated to Cheshire College, which distributes it to employers following completion of a declaration form and submission of receipts. Once claims are validated, payments are made directly to employers. Backed by £6.3 million of government funding for 2025/26, the ESF supports high-quality T Level placements and provides a valuable opportunity for employers to get involved.
Our dedicated T Levels and Work Experience team is here to support both students and employers. If you’re thinking about offering a work placement but aren’t sure where to start, we’ll guide you through the process and make it simple for your business.
We also provide ongoing support throughout the placement, ensuring everything runs smoothly and that you have all the guidance and information you need.
Get in touch today to find out more!
Email: workexperience@ccsw.ac.uk / Phone: 01244 656555 (Chester and Ellesmere Port) / 01270 654654 (Crewe)
Sustainability is a core value at Cheshire College. We are fully committed to incorporating eco-friendly practices across all areas of our work, from our Campus operations to the programmes we deliver.
We also work closely with employers to help their staff develop the green skills needed to meet today’s environmental challenges and future-proof their workforce. By partnering with us, businesses can stay ahead in a rapidly changing world, while contributing to a more sustainable future. This includes a new range of sustainability-focused apprenticeships to prepare your business for a greener future. Whether you’re upskilling your current staff or bringing in fresh talent, these training programmes will help you stay competitive and meet your Net Zero goals. From Level 2 Groundworker to Level 3 Pipe Fitter, there’s a range of exciting new training programmes to choose from.
Equip your workforce with essential green skills and take advantage of government funding to support your training goals. Get in touch today and take the first step towards a brighter, more eco-friendly future.
“We have worked closely, and in partnership with Cheshire College for some years to deliver our apprenticeship programme and support our apprentices. We have also, more recently, welcomed an excellent T-level student and we are pleased to be able to play a part in enriching the experience of this student.”
“Engaging with the College has allowed Astech to cast a wider net to attract young talent, whilst also expediting the development of our existing employees. The vast range of course offering allows us to easily identify the best development paths for our staff, all of which are very well supported by the College.”
“We are really pleased to have partnered with the College. We see this relationship as integral to our goal to provide good access to employment and pathways to successful careers for all our residents – including young people in education who are actively thinking about the next stage of their lives.”
“We started working with the College approximately 2 years ago after attending a Careers Fair and having an informative conversation with the staff about what they could offer us in terms of apprenticeships and short courses for our staff and volunteers. As a result of this, we secured 2 apprentices in our Finance and Facilities teams, who are both doing extremely well.”
“We have worked with Cheshire College – South & West to recruit nine apprentices onto a programme we have put in place to ensure the valuable skills of our team are being shared with a new generation of metal fabricators. From the start, the College apprentice recruitment team have worked hard to ensure the right candidates have been put forward for the opportunities.”
Have a question about partnering with Cheshire College? Not a problem, send an enquiry to our Employers team and they’ll be happy to guide you through the opportunities!
Our Employers team are always ready to help! For general enquiries, call our Employer hotline at 01270 654638 or 01244 656455.
You may see a fee attached to the course you’re interested in, but if you are 19+ there may be funding options available to cover the cost of your course.
Get in touch with admissions@ccsw.ac.uk if you’d like anymore information.
