Chancellor Apprenticeships Scheme - A Plan for Jobs

AndyW79

Hi,
We have a small marketing company mainly run by wife and a contractor and we where evaluating to use the new scheme (A Plan for Jobs) to hire apprenticeships who could help in our campaigns. This article details it well.

From what I have been researching it seems that the government will pay for 25 hours a week for minim wage up to 2000 pounds in 6 months, or 3000 if they under 24. We would only be able to manage two apprenticeships as the company is super small.

As we haven't done it before we lost of questions and doubts and maybe some of you have already hired apprentices and could shine light or pointers:

1. Is there any limit on the number of apprenticeships to hire?
2. Could we only use the 2000-3000 pounds to pay them?
3. Do we need formal contracts of employment and PAYE enablement and payslip?
4. Can I hire anybody I want? and  how do you avoid abuse  (eg: people hiring their children or relatives). We were thinking in hiring my sister in law as she wants to learn social media and marketing but maybe this is not allowed as she is a direct relative.

Thanks,
Andy

[Deleted User]

1. I believe so. 

2. I think you can choose how to spend the money, but you still need to pay apprentices, so your going to have to spend money on wages. 

3. My brother always had a contract of employment, a payslip, etc. 

4. Not too sure if there are requirements to follow a certain recruitment process.