Employer Newsletter (Apprenticeships)

We are delighted to share an exciting and historic announcement: as of 19th December 2025, the University of Bolton officially changed its name to the University of Greater Manchester. This change marks a significant milestone in our journey, reflecting the growth, impact, and ambition of our institution.

While our name has changed, our commitment to the town of Bolton and our community remains as strong as ever. Bolton continues to be the heart and home of the University, where our rich history and forward-thinking education have shaped thousands of students. The rebranding reflects our wider regional influence and growing national and international recognition. As we celebrate our 200th anniversary, this new name positions us for an exciting future and greater opportunities to collaborate with local businesses and partners.

Students graduating from 2025 onwards will receive their degrees from the University of Greater Manchester, and all apprenticeships will continue to meet the highest industry standards. For our past graduates, who completed their studies since the University achieved its status in 2005, we are pleased to offer replacement certificates reflecting the new name upon request.

As part of this transformation, we are continuing to strengthen our partnerships with employers. We remain committed to offering flexible, industry-relevant education and training that supports the future of your workforce. We will also be working closely with our partners to ensure that we meet your needs in delivering high-quality apprenticeships, CPD, and professional development opportunities.

We are introducing a new approach to teaching and assessment through the launch of The Greater Manchester Way (GMW) — a key step in our journey to becoming a national leader in Teaching Intensive, Research Informed, Assessment Enabled (TIRIAE) education.​

From 2025, there will be no change to the days that apprentices attend university—whether on a day release or block release basis. However, the structure of delivery will change: modules will be delivered one at a time over five-week teaching blocks and there will be ongoing assessment and feedback provided throughout. This means apprentices can fully focus on each subject, helping to reduce stress and improve their learning experience.

A key benefit for both employers and learners is that work-based learning, such as live projects and reflective journals, can now contribute directly to learning hours and assessment — as long as they are clearly linked to the Knowledge, Skills and Behaviours (KSBs). It will also become easier to map and log Off-the-Job Training (OJT) hours against individual modules.

Through these changes, we’re making our apprenticeship programmes more focused, flexible and relevant — strengthening our commitment to delivering high-quality education that supports both learners and industry.

We are proud to announce that we have achieved an impressive apprenticeship achievement rate of 80.8%, marking a significant milestone in our commitment to delivering high-quality apprenticeship programmes. This achievement reflects the hard work and dedication of both our apprentices and the staff who support them throughout their learning journey.​

This rate places us among the leading institutions for apprenticeship success, underscoring our focus on providing exceptional education and training that equips our apprentices with the skills and knowledge needed to excel in their chosen careers. We are dedicated to continuously improving our apprenticeship programmes and ensuring that they are aligned with industry needs, so our apprentices are well-prepared for the challenges and opportunities in the workforce.

As we move forward, we will continue to build on this success, striving to exceed expectations and further enhance the learning experience for all our apprentices. This achievement is a testament to the quality of our apprenticeship offerings and the strong relationships we have built with employers to support the future success of our apprentices.

​In February 2025, the UK government introduced significant changes to apprenticeship funding rules, aiming to enhance flexibility and accessibility within the apprenticeship system.​

Functional Skills

Starting February 11, 2025, apprentices aged 19 and over are no longer required to complete Level 2 English and maths qualifications in order to finish their apprenticeship. However, as a university, we are currently reviewing our degree apprenticeship programmes to determine which will continue to require Level 2 English and maths as entry criteria. We will provide an update once we’ve identified which programmes are impacted by this change in funding rules.

It's important to note that while Level 2 maths and English are not required for the gateway, some degree apprenticeships may still require them as part of the entry criteria, in addition to a relevant Level 3 qualification (such as a Level 3 diploma or A-level) related to the subject of the apprenticeship.

Additionally, we understand that some employers, including NHS Trusts, still value Functional Skills delivery for apprentices who need extra support with literacy or numeracy in the workplace. While no longer required for Gateway, we will continue to offer this support where it's needed to help learners build confidence and succeed in their roles.

We’ll keep you updated as we finalise programme-specific requirements and continue working with you to ensure all apprentices have the support they need.

Levy Transfers

There are now tighter timeframes in arranging Levy Transfers.

New time limits have been introduced for managing levy transfers. Once a transfer is approved by the sending employer, the receiving employer has 6 weeks to accept the funds. If no action is taken within this period, the funds will expire, and a new transfer request would need to be made if the funding is still needed.

After accepting the funds, the receiving employer then has 3 months to allocate them to an approved apprenticeship record. If this step is not completed within the timeframe, the funds will again expire, and a fresh transfer application will be required.

Changes to Minimum Duration of Apprenticeships

In February 2025, the Government confirmed plans to introduce shorter apprenticeships from August 2025, reducing the minimum duration from 12 months to 8 months where appropriate. This change is aimed at apprentices with significant prior learning or in industries where faster training aligns with sector needs.

While we don’t anticipate changes to the duration of our current apprenticeship programmes at this stage, we remain committed to working closely with employers to understand their needs.

In February 2025, the Government announced the launch of the ‘Your Apprenticeship' app.​

The app has been designed by the Apprenticeship Service to provide easy access to essential tools, resources, and support, helping apprentices manage their apprenticeship.

The app allows apprentices to:

• track their progress with personalised details about their apprenticeship
• organise their workload by adding tasks and setting reminders
• gather evidence for their End-point Assessment by linking tasks to the knowledge, skills and behaviours (KSBs) they’ve developed
• access tailored guidance

Apprentices can download the app from the App Store or Google Play.

As of 1st April 2025, the National Minimum Wage has increased.

*The apprentice wage can be paid to all apprentices under 19, or those aged 19 and over in the first year of their apprenticeship.

With the recent increases to employee NICs and minimum wages, we thought it worth reminding employers that you may not need to pay Class 1 NIC for an apprentice, if the apprentice:

• is under 25 years old
• is on an approved UK government apprenticeship standard or framework (these can differ depending on UK country)
• earns less than £967 a week (£50,270 a year)

A core requirement of every apprenticeship is the accurate and consistent logging of Off-the-Job Training (OJT) — and employer support is essential in making this happen.​

We can’t stress enough how important it is that apprentices are encouraged and supported by their line managers and mentors to log their OJT regularly. Not only is this a statutory requirement of the apprenticeship, but it's also directly tied to the funding your organisation receives. Without clear records, apprentices risk not meeting the required hours, which could impact both their ability to complete the programme and the financial investment made into their development.

It’s equally important that there is clear, specific evidence of the knowledge and skills developed during this time — not just what was done, but what was learnt. Activities should be mapped to the Knowledge, Skills and Behaviours (KSBs) outlined in the apprenticeship standard, with reflections and outcomes that demonstrate learning and growth.

Your active involvement in this process, whether that’s providing time, resources, or simply regular check-ins, plays a vital role in ensuring your apprentice’s success. With the introduction of The Greater Manchester Way, OJT becomes easier to manage, as apprentices will focus on one module at a time, allowing learning activities such as work-based projects, reflective journals, and hands-on tasks to be clearly aligned with the required Knowledge, Skills and Behaviours (KSBs).

We’re here to support you too, so if you’d like further guidance or tools to help apprentices record their OJT effectively, please don’t hesitate to get in touch. Working together, we can make sure every apprentice has the support they need to succeed.

A big thank you to everyone who took the time to complete our latest employer survey. Your valuable feedback has been shared with our Programme Teams, and we will keep you updated on any changes we implement as a result.

We are pleased to share that the feedback we’ve received so far has been overwhelmingly positive. Here are a few comments shared by employers:

“The ODP apprenticeship has changed everything for staff. It has been the lifeline for our staff.”

“The level of student that is coming through the apprenticeship is very good, and people in our workplace know if they come from your university compared to the other universities we use.”

“The apprenticeship works closely with us and is quick to respond in the event of issues or concerns. Excellent approach to working in partnership. Apprentices are well supported by their tutors.”

We appreciate your continued support and are excited to keep improving our programmes based on your feedback.

If you have any questions regarding our apprenticeships then please contact our Central Apprenticeship Team by emailing apprentices@bolton.ac.uk

Entry to Higher Education Apprenticeship Programme ‘EHEAP’ at the University of Greater Manchester is a ten-week course that will give you the skills and knowledge to progress to a degree apprenticeship.​

The course is free to suitable applicants, who are carers, are care experienced, or who do not yet have the necessary level 3 qualifications to progress to a university course.

You may be entitled to a bursary of £300 to support you while you study.

You will improve your knowledge and skills by completing projects in the following topics:

• Employability and Career Development
• English, Academic Writing and Research
• Sustainability and Cultural Capital
• Well-being, Resilience and Personal Development

Full Time and Part Time (20 weeks) options available.

The University of Greater Manchester will allocate you a personal tutor to support you while you learn. You will have access to student advisors, disability services, and wellbeing initiatives whilst you study.

For more information contact Vanessa on v.peace@bolton.ac.uk