If you’re looking to recruit an apprentice or enrol an existing employee onto an apprenticeship programme, one of the first steps you’ll need to complete is setting up your Digital Apprenticeship Service (DAS) account.
The Digital Apprenticeship Service is the government’s online platform used by employers to manage apprenticeship funding, approve apprentice records, reserve funding and work with apprenticeship training providers. All apprenticeship programmes in England are managed through this service.
To help make the process as straightforward as possible, we’ve created a step-by-step video guide showing exactly how to create your account and get everything ready for apprenticeship onboarding.
Having trouble watching the video? View on Youtube here – https://youtu.be/-eSiQ-f2JMY?si=tVNibDQS9nhdV1cs
The Digital Apprenticeship Service (DAS) is the government platform that allows employers to:
Whether you’re taking on your first apprentice or adding another learner to your organisation, you’ll need a DAS account before apprenticeship training can begin.
Before creating your account, make sure you have access to:
Having these details available will make the setup process much quicker.
The Apprenticeship Service now uses GOV.UK One Login for account access.
If you do not already have a GOV.UK One Login account, you’ll be prompted to create one using your work email address.
Once signed in, you’ll be asked to connect your organisation to the Apprenticeship Service.
This can be done using either:
You’ll then be able to:
Many employers choose to add colleagues from HR, Finance or Learning & Development teams so that multiple people can manage apprenticeships.
As part of the setup process, you’ll be required to accept the employer agreement with the Department for Education.
This agreement is necessary before apprenticeship funding can be accessed.
Once your account is active, you’ll be able to grant permissions to your apprenticeship training provider.
This allows providers such as Velocity Academy to support you with administrative tasks including funding reservations, apprentice approvals and onboarding activities where appropriate.
Once your Digital Apprenticeship Service account is live, the next steps are usually:
At Velocity Academy, we support employers through each of these stages to ensure the onboarding process is smooth and compliant.
Many employers discover that someone else within the organisation has already created a DAS account.
If this happens, an existing account owner can simply add you as a user rather than creating a second account.
Your finance department, payroll provider or accountant will usually be able to provide the PAYE reference and Accounts Office Reference Number required during setup.
Don’t worry. Your Partnership Manager can advise on the permissions required to support your apprenticeship programme while ensuring your organisation retains control of the account.
If you’re working with Velocity Academy and need assistance setting up your Digital Apprenticeship Service account, our team can guide you through the process and answer any questions along the way.
Getting your DAS account set up correctly is one of the most important steps in ensuring your apprentice can start their learning journey without delay.
If you’d like support with apprenticeship funding, onboarding or programme delivery, get in touch with the Velocity Academy team today.
I have loved every part of my Marketing apprenticeship with Velocity Academy. Paired with hands on experience at JCB, a leading construction and agricultural equipment manufacture and the outmatched guidance from the Velocity team, I achieved a distinction for this course.
We have chosen to continue, and expand, our partnership with Velocity Academy due to outstanding working relationship we’ve built together. From the very beginning, Velocity have shown exceptional flexibility in accommodating our evolving requirements, often going above and beyond to tailor their delivery to our operational needs, always putting the wellbeing of the learners first. Velocity Academy have delivered consistent quality in both teaching and customer services (namely Lee and Emma) making them a trusted partner in delivering apprenticeships to our employees.
My experience with Graham at Velocity Academy has been nothing short of exceptional. His professionalism, expertise, and commitment to finding the right apprentices have been very impressive.
Once the candidates were selected, the transition to getting them on board was remarkably quick and seamless. Graham efficiently handled all the necessary paperwork and administrative tasks, making the onboarding process hassle-free.
I would recommend their services to anyone in search of apprentices who will make a positive impact on their business. Our apprentices are excelling in their roles and continuously developing their skills.
Velocity Academy sourced a fantastic Apprentice Developer on our behalf and we couldn’t have been happier with the service. Regular check-ins, guidance and support from the start and genuine care were put into the recruitment process from Velocity, which meant they came up trumps with a cracking candidate. They have been outstanding. Thanks Velocity!
