For Host Organisations

The next generation of heritage craftspeople starts with you.

CraftGate is a fully managed learner-pipeline service for heritage craft employers. One annual subscription, three learner pathways through a single host relationship: 16–25 pre-apprenticeships, screened adult career changers, and weekend passion learners. We recruit, screen and prepare them before they arrive - and deliver a secured destination for the pre-apprenticeship pipeline before placements end.

Why host with CraftGate?

Inspire the next generation

Give young people their first real experience of heritage craft work. Every placement you offer plants a seed.

Minimal admin

CraftGate handles matching, communications, and quality assurance. You focus on the craft, we handle the platform.

Motivated, vetted students

Every student on CraftGate has applied with a motivation statement. You review their profile before accepting.

Build your reputation

Earn host badges - Trusted Mentor, Excellent for Beginners - that make your organisation visible and respected.

Structured experience

A 6–12 week structured placement with defined expectations for both sides. No ambiguity, no confusion.

Access to the Trusted Intern pathway

The best students can return as Trusted Interns - more responsibility, more continuity, less recruitment risk.

Three learner pathways, one host relationship

Your annual CraftGate subscription covers all three. Opt in to any or all - different compensation models, different learner profiles, deliberately structured so the pre-apprenticeship pipeline stays protected.

Pathway one

16–25 pre-apprenticeship

The core pipeline. Free to the learner, 6–12 week structured placement, secured destination before it ends. You receive a modest Destination Fee if they join your business at the end.

· Free-to-learner; funded through host subscriptions
· 6–12 weeks, four structured check-ins
· Under-18 flow requires annual young-worker risk assessment
· CraftGate secures the apprenticeship/job offer

Pathway two

Career changer

Screened adults changing career, paying their own tuition. You receive a staged teaching fee, paid in two halves (50% at start, 50% at midpoint).

· CraftGate screens motivation + financial readiness before match
· Non-refundable commitment deposit from learner at registration
· Host teaching fee paid by CraftGate, not the learner
· Opt in via accepts_career_changers on your host profile

Pathway three

Passion learner

Weekend residentials, dedicated teaching days, observation half-days. Per-day teaching fee, collected by CraftGate and passed on (less platform fee). Paid work during your shutdown time.

· Adult hobbyists; no career-path implications for you
· Run in separate space or time from pre-apprenticeship placements (detail below)
· You schedule; CraftGate markets and takes bookings
· Add experiences from your host dashboard

Why the pathways are kept separate.Adults paying for tuition can sit comfortably alongside young people receiving a funded placement only if neither learner feels the other is compromising their experience. The rule that passion-learner workshops run in different space or different time from pre-apprenticeship placements is the most visible guardrail; the screening and teaching-fee structure on career changers is the commercial one. Both exist to protect the 16–25 pipeline, which is the whole reason the network exists.

How it works for hosts

Register your organisation

Create a host account and complete your organisation profile.

Verification

Our team reviews and contacts you to verify DBS, insurance, and site suitability.

Create a placement listing

Describe what students will experience. Admin approves before it goes live.

Receive and accept applications

Review student profiles. Accept the students you want to host.

Host requirements

✓Named supervisor with relevant craft experience
✓Employers' liability insurance (minimum £5m)
✓Public liability insurance (minimum £2m)
✓DBS certificate for supervising staff (within 3 years)
✓Young worker risk assessment for any under-18 placement
✓Commitment to provide a written reference on completion
✓Willingness to support a secured destination before placement ends

What we do for hosts

We handle

✓Student recruitment and marketing
✓Online learning (6 modules per student pre-placement)
✓Screening and motivation statement review
✓Placement matching
✓Destination support
✓Ongoing platform support

You provide

✓Placement supervision by a qualified craftsperson
✓A structured 6–12 week working environment
✓Young worker risk assessment (under 18s)
✓DBS certificate for supervising staff
✓Insurance
✓Host profile content

Why join as a founding host?

✓Founding host pricing (launch year only)
✓"CraftGate Founding Host" badge on your listing
✓Direct input into how the platform develops
✓First access to the strongest candidates in your region
✓Named in CraftGate's funder communications as sector co-investor

Annual subscription

Four tiers from founding-year hosts up to cathedral works and national bodies. A modest Destination Fee per secured outcome. Get in touch for the current pricing schedule.

See full pricing →