Apprenticeship agreement (England) template
An apprenticeship agreement is the short statutory document an employer and apprentice in England sign at the start of an apprenticeship. It names the apprentice, the place of work and the apprenticeship standard, and records the start and end dates, the practical period and the planned off-the-job training hours. It sits alongside the apprentice's contract of employment and the training plan, and must be extended if the apprenticeship is extended.
Adapted from the Department for Work and Pensions (1 August 2026). Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
What changes each time
9 values. Everything else is your wording, kept exactly.
The apprentice and the standard
- Apprentice name
- Place of work
- Apprenticeship standard, level and version
Dates and training
- Start date of apprenticeship
- End date of apprenticeship
- Start date of practical period
- Estimated end date of practical period
- Duration of practical period
- Planned off-the-job training
One worked example, start to finish
The apprenticeship agreement (england) in DocuWeave, from upload to approval.
1The document uploaded
The GOV.UK apprenticeship agreement template, saved as a Word file and uploaded as it is.
- 2
The template it became
It found 12 sections and 13 values, and asked 3 questions. The signature boxes were left blank for signing on paper.
3The paperwork dropped in
The training provider's plan summary, the apprentice's acceptance email and a note from HR.
4What was found, with sources
9 of 9 values filled from the paperwork, each with the passage and the file it came from.
5What it asked
2 things for a person, where the emails and the training plan put the name and the place of work differently.
6The approved output
Approved, with Word and PDF downloads of exactly what was approved: 2 pages.
A free apprenticeship agreement (england) to download
- Apprenticeship agreement, filled with fictional details (Word)
- Apprenticeship agreement, filled with fictional details (PDF)
Use it as it is, or upload it to DocuWeave and make it a template.
DocuWeave is not a law firm. A general template for common situations in England and Wales. It is not tailored to you and we do not update it when the law changes, so check it suits your situation before you use it. Terms.
Adapted from the Department for Work and Pensions (1 August 2026). Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Questions people ask
Is an apprenticeship agreement a legal requirement?
For nearly all apprenticeships in England, yes. The Apprenticeships, Skills, Children and Learning Act 2009 and the 2017 regulations require one to be in place from the start of the apprenticeship and throughout it.
Is an apprenticeship agreement the same as an employment contract?
No. The apprentice still needs a written statement of employment particulars. The apprenticeship agreement records the standard, the dates and the off-the-job training, and confirms the apprentice works under a contract of service.
Who signs the apprenticeship agreement?
The employer and the apprentice sign it and each keep a copy. The employer gives a copy to the training provider. A separate training plan is signed by all three.
What is the practical period?
It is the time in which the apprentice works and receives training under the agreement, before the end-point assessment. It must last at least 8 months.
What happens if the apprenticeship takes longer than planned?
The agreement must be extended to cover the new dates, so it stays in place for the whole apprenticeship.
Use this template
It opens in DocuWeave as a template you can check, change and publish. Nothing is used until you do.