Written Statement for Apprentices (UK)

An apprentice is entitled to the same day-one written statement of particulars as any other employee, under Section 1 of the Employment Rights Act 1996. Most employers also need a separate statutory Apprenticeship Agreement under the Apprenticeships, Skills, Children and Learning Act 2009. Build the written statement below, then read the full guide to see how the two documents differ.

✓ Updated July 2026

Employment Rights Act 1996, s.1

ASCLA 2009

UK-wide

✓ Required from an apprentice's first day✓ Written statement vs Apprenticeship Agreement explained✓ Free wizard, paid clean PDF

Hiring part-time or zero hours staff instead? See Written Statement for Part-Time Employees or Zero Hours Contract Written Statement.

Apprentice Written Statement Builder

Fill in employer, apprentice, pay, and hours details on the left, and watch the statement build on the right. Free download with watermark, or £9.99 for a clean copy. Add the apprenticeship-specific wording from the checklist below before you issue it, and remember this generator produces the written statement, not the separate Apprenticeship Agreement.

Landlord details

Required: your name and an address in England or Wales where the tenant can send legal notices. This does not need to be your home address.

Do Apprentices Need a Written Statement?

Yes. An apprentice employed under a contract of service is an employee for the purposes of the Employment Rights Act 1996, and is entitled to the same written statement of particulars as any other employee. Since 6 April 2020, this right applies from the apprentice's first day, not within the first two months as older rules once allowed.

Some employers assume that issuing an Apprenticeship Agreement or a training plan covers this requirement. It does not. The Apprenticeship Agreement is a separate statutory document under the Apprenticeships, Skills, Children and Learning Act 2009, dealing with training status and funding. The written statement deals with the core terms of employment: pay, hours, holiday, and notice. Most apprentices need both.

📌 The short answer

Give every apprentice a Section 1 written statement on or before their first day, covering pay, hours, holiday, and the off-the-job training commitment. Separately, issue an Apprenticeship Agreement naming the apprenticeship standard and training provider. One document without the other leaves a gap.

Written Statement vs Apprenticeship Agreement

These are two different documents with two different legal bases. Confusing one for the other is the single most common apprenticeship documentation error small employers make.

FactorWritten StatementApprenticeship Agreement
Legal basisSection 1, Employment Rights Act 1996Apprenticeships, Skills, Children and Learning Act 2009
Who it applies toEvery employee and worker, from day oneOnly individuals training under an approved apprenticeship standard
What it recordsPay, hours, holiday, notice, and other core employment particularsApprenticeship standard, training provider, and confirmation of apprentice status
Required for fundingNoYes, needed to draw down levy or co-investment funding for the training
Minimum duration referencedNot applicable12 months, including end-point assessment
Can one document cover bothA combined document is possible if it contains all particulars for eachA combined document is possible if it contains all particulars for each

Source: Section 1, Employment Rights Act 1996 ↗ · Apprenticeships, Skills, Children and Learning Act 2009 ↗

Required Clauses — What Must Be in the Statement

These are the particulars required under Section 1 of the Employment Rights Act 1996, as amended in 2018. Most apply to every apprentice; a small number depend on the specific role.

ClauseWhy it's neededStatus
Employer nameIdentifies who the apprentice is contracting with.Required
Apprentice nameIdentifies who the statement covers.Required
Job title or brief description of the workSection 1 of the Employment Rights Act 1996 requires one or the other.Required
Start dateFixes when continuous service begins to run.Required
Whether earlier employment counts towards continuous serviceRelevant if the apprentice previously worked for the same employer.Required
Pay rate and how it is calculatedMust state the rate and confirm it meets at least the Apprentice Rate of the National Minimum Wage.Required
How often pay is madeWeekly, fortnightly, or monthly, so the apprentice knows when to expect payment.Required
Hours of work, including off-the-job training timeMust state normal working hours and reference the proportion set aside for off-the-job training.Required
Place of work, or that it variesConfirms where the work happens, including any placement or rotation across sites.Required
Holiday entitlement and how it is calculatedApprentices accrue paid holiday on the same basis as other employees.Required
Sickness absence and sick payMust reference the sick pay terms, or where the apprentice can find them.Required
Notice periods on either sideSets out the minimum notice to end the employment, where one is agreed.Required
Pension and pension schemesAuto-enrolment duties apply to apprentices once eligibility thresholds are met.Required
Expected end date or duration of the apprenticeshipApprenticeship standards run for a minimum of 12 months, so the expected end point should be recorded.Required
Training entitlement provided by the employerA required particular since the 2018 amendment regulations, and central to any apprenticeship role.Required
Disciplinary and grievance procedure, or where to find itCan be given by reference to a staff handbook or similar document.Required
Probationary period, if anyOnly where a probation period genuinely applies to the arrangement.If applicable

Source: Section 1, Employment Rights Act 1996 ↗ · GOV.UK — written statement of employment particulars ↗

Training Requirements Specific to Apprenticeships

Beyond the standard particulars, a handful of points need particular care in an apprentice's paperwork, because the arrangement is built around a structured training standard rather than an open-ended role.

1. Name the apprenticeship standard

State the approved apprenticeship standard the apprentice is training against, using its official title. This is separate from the job title and should match the standard published for the relevant occupation.

2. Name the training provider

Record the registered training provider delivering the off-the-job training. This is a required part of the Apprenticeship Agreement and is usually confirmed once a training plan has been agreed with the provider.

3. Set out the off-the-job training commitment

State the minimum proportion of paid working hours set aside for off-the-job training, in line with the funding rules attached to the standard. This training must take place during paid hours and away from the apprentice's normal day-to-day duties.

4. Record the expected duration and end-point assessment

Confirm the expected length of the apprenticeship, which must run for a minimum of 12 months including the end-point assessment period, and note that completion is confirmed by passing the end-point assessment set for the standard.

5. Confirm the apprentice-rate minimum wage position

Apprentices under 19, or 19 and over but in the first year of the apprenticeship, are entitled to at least the Apprentice Rate of the National Minimum Wage. Once an apprentice turns 19 and completes their first year, the appropriate age-related rate applies instead.

Source: GOV.UK — employ an apprentice ↗ · GOV.UK — National Minimum Wage rates ↗

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Example Apprenticeship Written Statement Content

A written statement for an apprentice follows the same structure as any other employee's statement, with two additions: a line confirming the apprenticeship standard and expected duration, and a line confirming the off-the-job training allowance. For example, an apprentice engaged on a Level 3 standard might have hours recorded as 37.5 hours a week, including a minimum proportion set aside for off-the-job training delivered by the named training provider, with an expected end date roughly 18 months from the start date, subject to satisfactory progress and the end-point assessment.

Apprenticeship Written Statement Examples by Industry

The mandatory particulars stay the same across sectors. What changes is how the training schedule, place of work, and pay reference period are described.

Example 1 — Construction apprentice

A building contractor in Leeds takes on a Level 2 bricklaying apprentice. The written statement records site-based work with a variable place of work, an hourly rate at the Apprentice Rate, and off-the-job training delivered one day a week at a local college. The employer issues a separate Apprenticeship Agreement naming the standard and the training provider.

Example 2 — Digital and IT apprentice

A software company employs a Level 3 software development apprentice on an 18-month standard. The written statement states hybrid working with a home office and a head office location, an annual salary paid monthly, and off-the-job training blocks delivered remotely by the training provider on set days each month.

Example 3 — Hospitality apprentice

A hotel group in Manchester employs a Level 2 hospitality team member apprentice. The statement records shift-based hours at a fixed site, holiday accrual on the standard basis, and off-the-job training delivered through a mix of on-site coaching and an external provider's online modules.
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Common Mistakes in an Apprenticeship Written Statement

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1. Treating the written statement and the Apprenticeship Agreement as the same document

A written statement covering pay and hours does not automatically confirm apprentice status for funding purposes unless it also carries the specific wording required by the Apprenticeships, Skills, Children and Learning Act 2009.

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2. Paying the wrong minimum wage rate

The Apprentice Rate only applies while the apprentice is under 19, or 19 or over and still in the first year. Employers sometimes keep an apprentice on the Apprentice Rate after their first anniversary, which underpays anyone who has turned 19.

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3. Not recording the off-the-job training allowance

Leaving off-the-job training out of the written statement, or failing to protect the time in practice, is a common cause of disputes and can jeopardise funding compliance for the training provider.

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4. Issuing the statement after the apprentice has already started

The principal statement is required no later than the apprentice's first day, in the same way as for any other employee.

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5. Assuming a work placement or internship is automatically an apprenticeship

Only a role training against an approved apprenticeship standard, with a registered training provider and an end-point assessment, is a genuine apprenticeship for legal and funding purposes.

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6. Not updating documents when the training provider or standard changes

If an apprentice moves standard, provider, or employer partway through, the written statement and the Apprenticeship Agreement should both be reissued to reflect the new arrangement.

Apprenticeship Compliance Checklist

Confirmed the apprenticeship standard and checked it is currently approved
Confirmed the registered training provider and agreed a training plan
Issued the written statement of particulars on or before the apprentice's first day
Issued a separate Apprenticeship Agreement referencing the standard and provider
Set pay at or above the correct Apprentice Rate or age-related National Minimum Wage rate
Recorded the off-the-job training commitment and protected the time in the working pattern
Recorded the expected duration, including the end-point assessment period
Confirmed holiday, sick pay, notice, and pension particulars
Set a reminder to review pay when the apprentice turns 19 or completes their first year
Set a reminder to update documents if the standard, provider, or employer changes

How to Issue a Compliant Apprenticeship Written Statement — Step by Step

01

Confirm the standard and training provider

Identify the approved apprenticeship standard and agree a training plan with the registered training provider before drafting either document.

02

Gather the mandatory particulars

Employer and apprentice names, job title, start date, pay rate, pay frequency, and place of work.

03

Record the off-the-job training commitment

State the proportion of paid hours set aside for training, in line with the funding rules for the standard.

04

Set pay at the correct rate

Use the Apprentice Rate for apprentices under 19, or 19 and over in their first year, and the correct age-related rate afterwards.

05

Prepare the separate Apprenticeship Agreement

Draft the statutory agreement naming the standard, provider, and expected duration, which the written statement does not replace.

06

Issue the written statement on or before the first day

Give the apprentice the principal statement no later than their start date, and keep a signed or dated record that it was given.

Legislative Timeline

1
1996Employment Rights Act 1996 enacted

Section 1 sets out the written statement of particulars requirement that applies to apprentices in the same way as any other employee.

2
2009Apprenticeships, Skills, Children and Learning Act 2009 enacted

Introduced the statutory Apprenticeship Agreement, the separate document confirming an individual's status as an apprentice.

3
2017Move from frameworks to standards

Apprenticeship frameworks were phased out in favour of employer-designed apprenticeship standards, each with its own end-point assessment.

4
April 2020Written statement becomes a day-one right for workers

The Employment Rights (Employment Particulars and Paid Annual Leave) (Amendment) Regulations 2018 extended the written statement right to workers, not only employees, and required it from day one.

5
2024Skills England announced

The government announced Skills England to take on responsibility for apprenticeship standards and technical education, alongside the functions previously held by the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education.

6
18 December 2025Employment Rights Act 2025 receives Royal Assent

Introduces wider day-one employment rights reforms that sit alongside the existing written statement requirement for apprentices.

7
April 2026National Minimum Wage rates updated

Apprentice Rate and age-related National Minimum Wage bands were uprated, relevant to any apprentice moving off the Apprentice Rate during their apprenticeship.

Source: Apprenticeships, Skills, Children and Learning Act 2009 ↗ · Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education ↗

About This Guide

🔄

Updated July 2026

Reflects Section 1 of the Employment Rights Act 1996, the Apprenticeships, Skills, Children and Learning Act 2009, and current National Minimum Wage rates as of this date.

🇬🇧

UK-wide, England-focused

The written statement requirement applies across Great Britain. Apprenticeship standards, funding rules, and training providers are set separately in England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland.

⚠️

Not legal advice

This guide gives general legal information and a working example. For an unusual arrangement, or a funding query, check with the training provider or a qualified employment solicitor.

OD

OfficeDraft Legal Team

This guide was built by cross-referencing Section 1 of the Employment Rights Act 1996 against the Apprenticeships, Skills, Children and Learning Act 2009 and current GOV.UK apprenticeship guidance, so the guide and the generator stay in sync as funding rules and standards change. Reviewed July 2026.

About OfficeDraft →
External references: Employment Rights Act 1996, Section 1 — legislation.gov.uk · Apprenticeships, Skills, Children and Learning Act 2009 — legislation.gov.uk · GOV.UK — employ an apprentice · GOV.UK — National Minimum Wage rates · ACAS — apprenticeships guidance · Find an employment solicitor — Law Society

Last updated: July 2026 · Editorial review: July 2026 · Author: OfficeDraft Legal Team

Frequently Asked Questions

Does an apprentice need a written statement?▾
Yes. An apprentice employed under a contract of service is entitled to a written statement under Section 1 of the Employment Rights Act 1996, given no later than their first day.
Is a written statement the same as an Apprenticeship Agreement?▾
No. The written statement is the general Section 1 document every employee gets. The Apprenticeship Agreement is a separate statutory document under the Apprenticeships, Skills, Children and Learning Act 2009 confirming apprentice status, standard, and training provider.
Can I use a normal employment contract for an apprentice?▾
It can form part of the arrangement, but it won't satisfy the Apprenticeship Agreement requirement unless it contains the specific statutory wording confirming apprenticeship status and the standard being followed.
What must be included in an apprentice's written statement?▾
The same core particulars as any employee, plus the off-the-job training commitment and the expected duration of the apprenticeship, including the end-point assessment period.
What is off-the-job training and does it need to be in the written statement?▾
It is training delivered during paid working hours, away from day-to-day duties, that builds the knowledge and skills in the apprenticeship standard. It isn't one of the seven statutory particulars, but recording it avoids later disputes.
What is the minimum wage for an apprentice?▾
The Apprentice Rate applies while under 19, or 19 or over and in the first year. After that, the apprentice must be paid at least the National Minimum Wage rate for their age.
How long does an apprenticeship have to last?▾
Apprenticeship standards must run for a minimum of 12 months, including the end-point assessment period, whatever the apprentice's prior experience.
What happens if an apprentice doesn't get a written statement?▾
They can bring a tribunal claim, usually alongside another claim such as unlawful deductions. Where the tribunal finds for the apprentice, it can award two or four weeks' pay for the missing statement.

Sources

  • Employment Rights Act 1996, Part I (Sections 1–7B) — legislation.gov.uk
  • Apprenticeships, Skills, Children and Learning Act 2009 — legislation.gov.uk
  • Employment Rights (Employment Particulars and Paid Annual Leave) (Amendment) Regulations 2018
  • GOV.UK guidance: Employ an apprentice
  • GOV.UK: National Minimum Wage and National Living Wage rates
  • Acas guidance: Apprenticeships and written statements of employment particulars

Related Guides & Tools

→Section 1 Statement of Employment Particulars→Written Statement of Terms Generator→Written Statement of Terms Checklist→Written Statement Example→Free Written Statement Template→Written Statement PDF Generator→How to Create a Written Statement of Terms→Electronic Written Statement→Written Statement for Part-Time Employees→Zero Hours Contract Written Statement→Written Statement — Full-Time Employee→Written Statement — Fixed-Term Contract→UK Payslip Generator→Salary Slip Generator

Methodology

This guide was built by mapping the statutory particulars in Section 1 of the Employment Rights Act 1996 against the specific requirements of the Apprenticeships, Skills, Children and Learning Act 2009, then checking both against current GOV.UK guidance on employing an apprentice and National Minimum Wage rates. Worked examples reflect typical apprenticeship arrangements in construction, digital, and hospitality roles and are illustrative rather than drawn from a specific employer.

⚠ Legal disclaimer

OfficeDraft's apprenticeship written statement generator helps employers produce a statement covering the core particulars required under Section 1 of the Employment Rights Act 1996. It does not generate the separate statutory Apprenticeship Agreement required under the Apprenticeships, Skills, Children and Learning Act 2009. This page and the generator provide general legal information and do not constitute independent legal advice. Names, figures, and scenarios above are illustrative. If you are unsure how a specific term or funding rule applies to your apprentice, seek advice from your training provider or a qualified employment solicitor. A directory of solicitors is available at solicitors.lawsociety.org.uk.

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