If your dog grooming salon is busy and you’re thinking about growing your team, you might be asking yourself: can my salon take on an apprentice?
The good news is that many dog grooming businesses are already well suited to employing an apprentice, often without realising it. Our Level 2 Dog Groomer Apprenticeship is designed to work around busy salons, with structured support from us to make the process manageable and realistic.
This short self-assessment will help you decide whether a dog grooming apprenticeship could work for your business.
A quick self-check for employers
You may already be ready to take on a dog grooming apprentice if most of the following sound achievable:
- You have a genuine role available with regular work
- You’re happy to employ someone and pay the appropriate wage
- You can support learning as part of everyday salon work
- You’re open to guidance from a training provider
- You can allow time for off-the-job training (with support)
If you’re nodding along to most of these, there’s a strong chance an apprenticeship could be a good fit for your salon. If you’re unsure about any of them, we can help provide some clarity, so it is worth requesting a call back to discuss whether an apprenticeship could work for your business.
What being “ready” means for employers
Employers don’t need to be experts in dog grooming apprenticeships before getting started. In reality, a lot of the structure, paperwork, and compliance is guided by the training provider. What you’ll need to think about is:
A genuine job role
You’ll need a real role with a contract of employment that lasts long enough for the apprentice to complete their dog grooming apprenticeship. The role should allow the apprentice to gain new skills and knowledge.
Supporting learning in the salon
Dog grooming apprenticeships are about learning alongside work. Employers are expected to support development by allowing time for practice and observation, offering guidance and feedback, and encouraging questions and reflection. However, you don’t need to “teach lessons”, as your training provider will deliver the formal learning and assessment.
Off-the-job training (made simple)
Apprentices must complete at least six hours per week of off-the-job training. This is often broader than employers expect and can include:
- Time spent undertaking college work e.g. working through online course materials or taking part in lessons
- Shadowing experienced groomers
- Workplace demonstrations or tutorials
- Portfolio work, assignments, or projects
- One-to-one mentoring in the salon
Your provider will help you plan this so it fits around your business rather than disrupting it.
Wages, administration, and paperwork
You will need to pay your apprentice the correct wage for their age, complete and sign some apprenticeship paperwork, and log basic updates on hours and progression. In practice, many training providers can support employers with all of this, making it far more straightforward than many people expect — especially for first-time apprenticeship employers.
Already have someone in mind?
You don’t always need to advertise for an apprentice. For example, if you already employ a bather, assistant, or junior team member, a Level 2 Dog Groomer Apprenticeship can often be used to upskill existing staff, as long as the role involves substantial new learning for them. Your training provider can assess whether:
- The individual is eligible
- The role meets apprenticeship requirements
- The apprenticeship adds genuine value
This can be a great way to reward loyalty and create clear progression within your team.
How a training provider can support you
For most dog grooming businesses, the first step to getting started with apprenticeships is choosing an apprenticeship training provider. A good provider will:
- Help confirm whether your salon is ready
- Explain how dog grooming apprenticeships work
- Explain funding and wage rules clearly and check your funding eligibility (many dog employers can access government funding and financial incentives to help cover apprenticeship training costs)
- Guide you through recruiting and onboarding your dog grooming apprentice
- Help plan off-the-job training
- Guide you through paperwork and ongoing requirements
This is especially helpful if you’re hiring an apprentice for the first time, as it removes much of the admin and uncertainty from the process.
Ready to recruit a dog grooming apprentice?
At The College of Animal Welfare, we deliver the Level 2 Dog Groomer Apprenticeship as a work-based course with online learning – perfect for both newcomers to the dog grooming industry, as well as current members of your team who wish to undertake a formal dog grooming course.
This apprenticeship is available anywhere in England, and is a practical option to develop skills within your business. Plus, there are clear benefits for employers:
- Apprentices can start at any time and train in your workplace.
- Apprentices can be full or part-time.
- Apprenticeship fees are fully funded for those under 25 years of age working for small/medium (non-levy paying) employers.
- Small/medium businesses who do not pay the Apprenticeship Levy can receive up to £3,000 in incentive payments if they take on a new apprentice*
- The national minimum wage for apprentices is just £8 per hour (April 2026).
- We can help you recruit, screen candidates and even arrange interviews if you want to recruit a new apprentice – all for free!
- Experienced dog grooming tutors provide ongoing support to both you and your apprentice.
- No college attendance required – instead, your apprentice attends one afternoon per week of online lessons, and will have an allocated tutor to support them.
- We have over 10 years’ experience delivering dog grooming training and supporting employers, with tried and tested methods of course delivery and student support.
*£1,000 incentive to any employer training an apprentice aged 16-18 years of age, £2,000 incentive to non-levy employers recruiting a new apprentice aged 16-24 years of age.
If you’re new to apprenticeships and wondering how they can work for your business, you can download our FREE Employer Guide to Apprenticeships here.
Alternatively, if you would like have an informal chat with our team about your options, you can request a call back here.
Find out more about the Level 2 Dog Groomer Apprenticeship here.