The National Apprenticeship Service covers the training of apprentices depending on their age.

The government provides the funds to cover the full cost of the mandatory training required to complete the framework as determined by the relevant Sector Skills Councils for a young person aged 16-18 on an Apprenticeship.

The cost to an employer will be the weekly wage or training allowance that is paid to the apprentice. The cost will also depend on if the Apprentice is eligible for government funding. Most apprentices are employed by companies and are paid a salary that reflects their skills, experience, age and ability. There is now a set minimum of £95 per week for employed apprentices. 

Ixion understands and works to the new Qualifications and Credit Framework (QCF) System

The National Qualifications Framework (NQF) and Qualifications and Credit Framework (QCF) set out the levels against which a qualification can be recognised in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. These frameworks help learners to make informed decisions about the qualifications they need, and help employers and providers assess what qualifications a candidate has. The NQF and QCF are comprised of nine levels, and set out the basis on which qualifications are approved, so that everyone can have confidence in the standards of qualifications and the consistency between these qualifications in terms of levels, size, content, use of titles, etc.

Every unit and qualification in the framework will have a credit value (one credit represents 10 guided learning hours) and a level between Entry level and level 8 (to indicate the difficulty).

There are 3 sizes of qualifications in the QCF: