Apprenticeships- any guidance or pitfalls?

[Jumpy Guy]

we're at the stage in our business when we need some staff which are trained exactly to what we need. Its a niche sector within the industry, so anyone we take on needs additional training.

we're thinking about an apprentice, and a few questions come to the surface..

- what are the average costs?
- is it possible to get assistance with training costs etc?
- does anything tie the apprentice to you, post qualification?

If anyone has experience, it would be appreciated...