Who can your employer train as an apprentice?

New Recruits

Any company can employ new staff as apprentices. The only requirement is that the person is at least 16 years old. New apprentices can include graduates and school leavers.

Existing Staff

Even if employees have been with the company for a while, they can be trained as apprentices through CIMA. It’s a great way for  businesses to upskill their current workforce.

Existing CIMA Students

Even if an employee has already started their CIMA Qualification, they can switch to qualifying as a CGMA through an apprenticeship. They just need to have at least 12 months of their qualification left. 

The benefits of a CIMA Apprenticeship programme

The benefits of a CIMA Apprenticeship programme

Build and retain talent

By supporting staff through an apprenticeship, companies are shaping an employee who is likely to stick with them for years to come – and who will put their new skills and knowledge straight back into the business.

Save on training costs

Apprenticeships are well-funded by the government, no matter how big or small the company. Plus, CIMA apprentices don’t pay exam exemption fees. So, by supporting staff to qualify with CIMA through an apprenticeship, employers can redirect their training budget elsewhere.

Be supported

CIMA, along with your training provider, are on hand to support employers throughout the apprenticeship programme. Each employer will have a nominated contact in the CIMA Apprenticeships team, equipped to answer end-point assessment related queries and offer advice. 

Flexible approach to study

With CIMA, apprentices can study and sit for exams from work or at home — causing minimal business disruption.

The apprentices are an integral part of any team they work in, and so they not only work in their team day-to-day, but they also complete projects and are involved in new initiatives taking place”
Sasha Morgan Manley
Head of Emerging Talent and UKI Talent COE
What the Video Case Study

CIMA offers apprenticeships at two levels

Level 4: Professional Accounting Technician Apprenticeship

Funding available: up to £8,000, plus incentive payment if hiring a new apprentice

The Level 4 Professional Accounting Technician Apprenticeship is ideal for employees who are just starting out in accounting, whether they’re new to the world of work or want a career change. It’s the first step of an apprenticeship journey that could take them all the way to earning the CGMA designation.

During Level 4, apprentices will study the Certificate in Business Accounting (Cert BA), our entry level qualification for people with little or no accounting background. It’s a qualification designed to give their career a robust foundation in business and finance.

Studying the CIMA Cert BA will give apprentices the business and finance skills for now and into the future, including accounting, management accounting and business principles. It also forms a formal entry route into the CGMA Professional Qualification, which can be studied as part of the Level 7 Accountancy / Taxation Professional Apprenticeship. Once apprentices have successfully completed both qualifications, they’ll be awarded the Chartered Global Management Accountant (CGMA) designation.

Level 7 Accountancy / Taxation Professional Apprenticeship

Funding available: up to £21,000

If employees have some experience working in accounting or finance, or they have a related degree, they can progress their career with the Level 7 Accountancy / Taxation Professional Apprenticeship. As part of Level 7, apprentices will study the CGMA Professional Qualification —recognised worldwide as the most relevant global finance qualification for a career in business.

The CIMA Professional Qualification focuses on employability, offering a syllabus that is truly competency based. It will enable employees to develop technical, finance and business knowledge, as well as people and leadership skills.

The Professional Qualification is proof that employees not only have the knowledge, but also the competencies and skills of a Chartered Global Management Accountant (CGMA).

 

Talking to your employer about apprenticeships

Talking to your employer about apprenticeships

Whether your employer already has apprentices or not, approaching them to discuss an apprenticeship for yourself may feel like a daunting challenge. Who should you talk to? How do you pitch a business case? Here are a few pointers to help.

Apprenticeships aren’t just for new hires

Apprenticeships are often associated with school leavers new to the world of work. But anyone over the age of 16 can do an apprenticeship. It’s a brilliant way to upskill staff, even if they’ve been in the position for a while. 

There’s lots of funding available

Apprenticeships are well-funded, no matter how big or small the company. If your organisation is big, it’s likely that they’re already paying the apprenticeship levy — it’s 0.5% of an employer’s annual bill, if that bill is at least £3 million. 

The levy means big employers are essentially paying into a big central pot that funds apprenticeships nationwide. By utilising the levy, the cost of learning to your employer is £0. That’s right: no extra cash is lost from the payroll. 

And if you work for a small business? Those with a total annual pay bill of less than £3million pay just 5% of the cost of their apprenticeship training and the government pays the rest.   

Off-the-job training doesn’t mean not working

It’s a rule of apprenticeships that 20% of the role must be off-the-job training – but that doesn’t mean the apprentice has to be offline not doing their job.  Employers just needs to show that the employee is learning for 20% of their time during their apprenticeship. So things like shadowing staff, giving the apprentice a stretch project, or being mentored by a more senior colleague all count towards that 20%. 

Apprenticeships are a great way to build and retain talent

Forget ping pong tables and free pizza on Fridays: what better way to show your employees how much you care about them than by investing in their learning and their future? By supporting staff through an apprenticeship, they’re shaping an employee who is likely to stick with the company for years to come – and who will put all those skills and knowledge acquired from their apprenticeship straight back into the business.

Read more about talking to your employer about doing an apprenticeship

Discover more

Need more information to persuade your employer?

It can be difficult for employers to make an informed decision about an apprenticeship programme. We’ve collated the answers to some of the questions we get  asked a lot to help you build a business case for your employer.

Read our FAQs

Explore Employer Case Studies

We asked business leaders to share their experience with the CIMA Apprenticeships Programme

5 doors you can open with CIMA Image

We actively encourage our team to take the apprenticeship option. The more they can develop themselves professionally, the better service we can provide for the rest of the Trust.

Peter Chapman
Deputy Director of Finance
Chelsea and Westminster NHS Foundation Trust

Read the case study

All apprentices who have successfully completed the scheme to date have been directly appointed into permanent roles across TfL Finance.

Kevin John
Transport for London

Read the case study
Certificate in Business Accounting

“The CIMA programme provides a fantastic range of knowledge to complement the experience our apprentices gain in our programme”

Neil Sansbury
Ramboll

Read the case study

Did you know, there are incentive payments for hiring a new apprentice.

The UK government has introduced payments to qualifying employers for any eligible employee of any age who start their apprenticeship.

Find out more on Gov.uk

Training Providers

By working with the best training providers, CIMA ensures that employers will receive only the best apprenticeship programme

Are you an employer wanting more insight on CIMA’s apprenticeship programme?

Discover how our apprenticeship programme can help develop your team

Get in touch

Interested in enrolling on an apprenticeship? Talk to us for more info

Explore how a CIMA Apprenticeship will help you achieve the CGMA designation

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