Equine Apprenticeships

Your equine apprenticeship will take a minimum of 12 months. It typically lasts 12 to 15 months but can last up to 24 months.

The length of time taken will depend on experience and which apprenticeship it is. 

You are only on an Apprenticeship if you are engaged with a training provider or college.

If your employer tells you that you are an 'apprentice', but you are not formally signed up, then you are not on an Apprenticeship and thus must be paid at least the National Minimum Wage for your age, and not the apprenticeship level. 

Yes, you are a member of staff and you will have all of the entitlements of any other employees. 

There are different rates of pay for apprentices depending on your age and what year of your apprenticeship you’re in.

Your employment contract should confirm your rate of pay.

Click here to discover the latest amounts as they change on the 1st April annually. 

It is critical that you are paid no less than the National Minimum Wage for every hour that you work. 

No.

Yes.

It is a legal requirement that the employer and apprentice hold a contract of employment (written statement of terms of employment) on the day they start work, as well as an apprenticeship agreement at the start of the apprenticeship.

Deductions can be made for accommodation costs and this should be made clear in your contract. The employer cannot deduct more than the accommodation offset allowance if the Apprentice is on no more than the Apprentice National Minimum Wage. 

Check the current accommodation offset rate 

Your employer should invoice you for your horse's livery cost, if it is being charged for, and this can then be deducted from your net pay once Tax and NI have been deducted. This should be clearly agreed upon between you and your employer in writing.

You will be entitled to Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) provided you meet the qualifying criteria.

Your contract will state whether you are entitled to any additional sick pay from your employer.

Yes, you are entitled to paid holidays, the amount will depend on the number of hours you work and will be accrued in the normal way. 

Your employment will normally be for a minimum of 30 hours per week but maybe more. In a small number of circumstances, where there is a recognised reason why the apprenticeship needs to be for fewer hours, working fewer hours than 30 per week will be allowed as long as it does not fall below a minimum of 16 hours.

When this occurs the actual length of the apprenticeship will then be extended in order that sufficient time is spent to gain the required experience and skills you will need to do the job.

You can't work more than 48 hours a week on average - normally averaged over 17 weeks.

This law is called the 'working time directive' or 'working time regulations'. You can choose to work more by opting out of the 48-hour week.

If you're under 18, you can't work more than 8 hours a day or 40 hours a week.

Don't forget, you must be paid at least the National Minimum Wage for every hour that you work.  

Yes, if you have concerns about your health and safety then you should raise this with your employer. 

Your employer must also be aware that for learners under 18, or under 25 with an Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan, that will be sharing accommodation facilities with adults (people aged 18 years old or over), they need to ensure DBS checks (a record of a person’s criminal convictions and cautions carried out by the Disclosure and Barring Service) are carried out on the other occupants within the accommodation before you begin to live on-site. 

Learners that are under 18 or under 25 with an EHC plan should always have their own bedroom with the door lock. 

Haddon Training also provides a 24-hour safeguarding phone line for their Apprentices. 

Yes, your employer should allow you time for study and training.

The hours you work are governed by the Working Time Regulations 1998 as stated above.