Built for UK employers

Train the people you've already got. With money you've already paid.

Apprenticeships are government-funded training you can run on someone already on your team, or a new hire of any age. We match you to a top-rated provider who builds them into a qualified Project Manager in 18 months.

Ofsted-rated providers95-100% fully fundedNationwide training
shield Regulator-approved providers only
payments Your salary bill doesn't change
handshake No fit, no follow-up

What this is

Do you pay the apprenticeship levy?

Under £3M pay bill / under 250 staff

The government covers 95% of training for SMEs. For Project Management Level 4 your share is around £350 over 18 months. Most employers never claim it. We match you to the apprenticeship that turns it into qualified Project Managers on your team.

What you get back

The case for building.
Three numbers.

Your team lead, supervisor, or junior project manager already runs the work. The apprenticeship adds the Level 4 qualification, modern project management tools, and contract depth. No training fees to your business. 18 months on the job.

64%

Stay with the same employer

Train them, keep them.

Of apprentices who complete, 64% continue working for the company that backed them. They stay because they're invested.

DfE / UCAS

78%

Of employers see productivity gains

Productivity employers feel.

From the largest UK apprenticeship study (4,085 firms). Level 4+ programmes report the most benefit, not entry-level.

DfE Apprenticeships Evaluation 2021

96%

Team skills lift

Tighter projects, fewer firefights.

Better plans, clearer briefs, less rework. Reported by project managers at firms running apprenticeship schemes.

Assoc. for Project Management, 2026

Retention

Build stays. Hire goes.

Two numbers worth knowing before your next hire.

Build, train, retain

64%

of apprentices stay with the company that backed them.

DfE / UCAS

Hire externally

41%

of HR pros say new hires quit within 12 weeks.

CIPD / Omni RMS, 2024

The maths

Numbers that add up.

Both paths build the Project Manager you need. Only one comes with a bill.

Recruit externally

Recruiter fee (15-22% of salary)
15-25% salary uplift to win the offer
6 months onboarding before they're productive
Year 2 churn risk if a bigger firm calls

£15-25k

Plus 6 months waiting

Train internally

Train the person you already trust. Same salary, productive from day one.

£0–350

Plus 18 months on the job

Get started arrow_forward

How it works

Less effort than your last hire.

Building a team through apprenticeships is easier than you think.

You tell us what you need.

60 seconds. Sector, size, the role you'd put through.

1

We pick your provider.

From our vetted list. Ofsted-rated, capacity confirmed, sector track record. No fit? We say so straight.

2

They call within a working day.

A short call. Project Management Level 4, eligibility, start dates, how the funding works.

3

You start building your Project Manager.

Sign, start the apprenticeship. 18 months later, a qualified Project Manager on your team.

4

The qualification

Project Management Level 4.
A real qualification.

Trained to run projects properly. The senior capability you'd otherwise have to recruit.

Apprenticeship standard

Project Management

Level 4 · 18 months on the job

A nationally recognised UK qualification.

Who it's for

Team leads, supervisors, operations managers, junior project leads, technical specialists. Anyone in your team coordinating projects or work without a formal project management qualification.

How it's funded

Government covers 95% of the training. Your share is the remaining 5%, typically a few hundred pounds spread over the 18 months. Apprentices aged 16-21 are 100% government-funded, no employer share at all.

What you get

More skilled staff. Higher retention odds. Training money working as capability that stays in your business.

FAQ

Your questions, answered.

Who can we put through, and does it have to be a new hire?
Both work. Most employers upskill someone they already employ. Team leads, supervisors, operations managers, junior project leads, technical specialists. Anyone coordinating projects without a formal Project Management qualification. They keep their current role with the apprenticeship overlaid for 18 months, same salary. New hires are also possible if you want to grow the team, but existing staff is what most firms do, and it's cheaper because you're already paying their wage.
Will it eat our management time?
The provider handles enrolment, the learning admin, and the final assessment. The apprentice spends about one day a week on learning, planned around your work rather than against it.
What if the apprentice can't keep up?
Every provider we match you with has clear protocols when an apprentice is at risk of falling behind. You hear about it early enough to intervene, not after the fact.
What does it actually cost the firm?
Almost nothing. Levy payers: covered by your existing levy pot, no new spend. Non-levy SMEs: government covers 95%, your share is around £350 over 18 months. You pay the apprentice's wage either way.
How does Switchable make money?
We bring training providers their next employer. When you say yes to the provider we matched you to, the provider pays us a flat fee. If we also source you an external apprentice (rather than you upskilling someone you already employ), the provider pays us a second flat fee for that. You pay us nothing either way. We only get paid when a match works, which keeps us on your side.
How much paperwork is involved?
Minimal. The matched provider handles enrolment, the apprenticeship agreement, the final assessment, and any government systems (like the digital apprenticeship account for levy payers). Your role is to sign the apprenticeship agreement and a few related forms. The provider walks you through what's needed.

Eighteen months from now

The senior hire you didn't need to make.
On your team.

Built from people you already trust. Paid for with money you'd otherwise lose. The team that grows itself.

Build my team arrow_forward

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