Welcome To Borders Technical Training Association

Providing Technical Training Solutions

Apprenticeships are a key focus for employers who look to retain their competitive edge and drive future growth. Research by the National Apprenticeship Service (NAS) has found that over 80% of companies who employ apprentices believe they make their workplace more productive, and a further 88% of employers believe that apprenticeships lead to a more motivated and satisfied workforce.

BTTA is committed to working with employers to take on apprentices and offer unrivalled industry knowledge and support. As an approved training provider by ENGINUITY (Formerly SEMTA) and Excellence, Achievement & Learning Limited (EAL), the nationally recognised Engineering Vocational Qualification awarding body, B.T.T.A. focuses on providing company approved support, assessment and verification for Modern Apprenticeships in Engineering, providing them with the skills and knowledge they need to build a successful career in industry.

Training Services

B.T.T.A offers a training service which provides a selection of short courses ensuring your staff development aims are keeping pace with technology and best practice. Short courses enable your organisation to maintain a world class standard ensuring staff are on message with current thinking and technology. Enrolling staff on short courses not only boosts moral and confidence but in turn improves perfomance and loyalty with an organisation.

B.T.T.A is able to deliver short courses either on site or at our offices at Newtown St Boswells. To see our course calendar visit our short course page and using our booking form emailing us your requirements

Vocational Qualifications

B.T.T.A not only offers Modern apprenticeship qualifications to nationally recognised standards but can also provide approved vocational training which, also meets national standards and are task specific to suit organisational requirements. This form of qualification will allow your organisation to offer your staff to become qualified in the actual job they do.

Assessment and training is carried out on the job, where the candidate taking on this qualification builds his or her own portfolio of evidence of their work. This evidence along with work place observations is assessed to national standards as laid down by the lead bodies.

By grouping together certain units, a group award can be gained such as “Performing Manufacturing Operations”, “Performing Industrial Operations” all at SVQ level 2 (SCQF level 5) giving operators or semi skilled personel in your workplace a nationally recognised qualification. For more information please contact BTTA.

What costs are involved in a Modern Apprenticeship?

A Modern Apprentice is just like any other employee. So, there’s no difference between an MA and the normal costs you’d have for other employees.

But remember, you’ll have the added bonus of a contribution towards their training! and, because they’re learning on the job, you can see the benefits of that training right away.

You’re responsible for paying the MA’s wages. When setting a salary:

  • Remember you must pay at least the National Minimum Wage. For apprentices, as of 1st April 2022 that's £4.81 per hour for year one only then national minimum wage after that year must be adhered too
  • It's not just about the minimum. Think about what level of salary will attract the best candidates, and about what others are offering. On apprenticeships.scot, the average salary offered over the past year was around £12,500 per a year depending on the area. How would yours compare, if candidates were looking at different job adverts?
  • BTTA also suggests an apprentice wage scale which, was detremined by the then joint EEF/CSEU agreement back in March 1983. This aggreement suggested the following pay rate for apprentices based on the tradeperson's hourly rate.
  • 1st year apprentice rate per hour is to be 47.5% of a tradeperson's hourly rate
  • 2nd year apprenitce rate per hour is to be 65% of a tradepereson's hourly rate
  • 3rd year apprentice rate per hour is to be 80% of a tradeperson's hourly rate
  • 4th year apprentice rate per hour is to be 90% of a tradeperson;s hourly rate


Note that the pay that the apprentice receives must meet the government minimum wage guidelines. To help with this calculation you can download a pre-prepared excel spreadsheet here. Just change the areas highlighted in green i.e. tradesperson’s hourly rate to what you want or the hours worked in one week or the pension contribution rate and the spread sheet will calculate the rest automatically based on April 2020 minimum wage information. The worksheet also displays other scenarios based on the apprentice’s starting age and the minimum wage you have to pay.