Omose
Apply as an apprenticeHost an apprentice
Omose
Host an apprenticeApply as an apprentice
A young joiner leans on a workbench in a workshop, with tools and timber around them.

Two years from now, you're an owner.

Get paid the going rate to learn a whole business from the inside. Finish the two years and meet the plan, and the contract makes you an owner. You don't need money, contacts or experience.

Apply as an apprentice What you walk away with

You don't need money. You don't need contacts. You don't need to have done it before. Nobody has all that at 22.

What you get

  • A real job for two years, at the going rate for the role.
  • A recognised qualification, with a registered training provider.
  • The whole business: pricing, customers, suppliers, where the money goes.
  • A fund your host pays into every month. You can see it.
  • A signed route to your own company, a branch or a stake.
  • A network of other apprentices and owners.

What you give

  • Two years. This is a job, with the hours of a job.
  • Two minutes a week on your log: what you learned, what you did, what’s missing.
  • Regular reviews with your host and Omose.
  • The boring parts too: invoices, tax, chasing payment, insurance.
  • Later on, as an owner, taking on an apprentice of your own within three years.

What you walk away with.

  • Your own company

    Your company, your name. The fund is released to it. Your host holds an agreed stake of less than half and makes the introductions.

  • A branch

    Your host opens a new site or team and you run it, with a share that is yours.

  • A staged stake

    A growing share of your host's business, over an agreed number of years.

You pick at month 12, so you have a whole year to work towards it. You can also apply for outside funding, such as a Start Up Loan of up to £25,000 (British Business Bank (opens in a new tab)) and support from The King's Trust (The King's Trust (opens in a new tab)). Omose does not lend or arrange finance.

A young tradeswoman stands on a wet street of red-brick terraced houses, holding a toolbox and a coil of cable.

Don't take our word for it.

You should be suspicious of anyone promising you a business. So here is what you can check.

  1. Read the contract.

    Before you sign, in plain English. Show it to anyone you trust.

  2. See the money.

    The fund balance is on your screen every month. It is the same number your host sees.

  3. Read what they write.

    Everything your host writes about you, you can read.

  4. Meet first.

    You meet your host twice, once at the business. You can say no, and you don’t have to say why.

  5. Know the way out.

    Before you sign, the contract tells you what happens if things stop working, on either side.

This isn't for everyone.

It is for you if

  • You are 18 to 30 and live in Greater Manchester.
  • You want to run a business, and a job alone won’t do.
  • You can commit to two years.
  • You will put in the hours and write things down.

It is not for you if

  • You want a quick job or a short course.
  • You want to start a business next month. This takes two years for a reason.
  • You won’t learn the parts of running a business nobody enjoys.

The questions you're about to ask.

How much will I be paid?
The going rate for the role, in your host’s trade and area. You are their employee. The exact figure is in your contract before you start, and it is reviewed at month 12.
Do I need experience or qualifications?
No. You need to be 18 to 30, in Greater Manchester, and serious about two years.
Do I get a qualification?
Yes. Every Omose place is a real apprenticeship on an approved standard, with a registered training provider. If you decide not to run a business, you still finish with the qualification and two years of experience.
Do I own all of it?
It depends on your route. With your own company, you hold most of it and your host holds an agreed stake of less than half. With a branch or a staged stake, you own a share, and the contract says how it can grow.
Do I pick the trade?
You tell us what you want to run, and we match you with hosts in that area. You meet them twice before either of you signs.
What if my host doesn’t teach me?
Your weekly log asks what is missing. Write it down, and we check it at the next review. If a host keeps failing to teach what they signed up to, Omose can end the pair, and the contract protects you.
Why not just take a normal job?
If you want a job, take a job. This is for people who want their own business and have no other way in.
What does Omose get out of this?
Hosts pay us fees. Public funders may pay us for results, like people still in work or businesses still trading. You pay nothing to apply or take part, and Omose takes no stake in your business. Network membership for owners is separate, and we will show you the terms before you sign.

Apply for the founding cohort.

Five minutes. We read every application and reply to everyone.

Apply as an apprentice