An Apprenticeship combines work and study at the same time. Each Apprenticeship course (or programme) has been developed to suit the job, sector and size of the company the training will take place in. It can last anywhere between 12 months and four years.
Here at The Derbyshire Network, we can sign post you to some of the best apprenticeship training providers in the country for your industry.
Changes to Apprenticeships
There have been 2 key changes to Apprenticeships, how they are funded and how the training can be delivered –
Funding changes – Levy or Co-investment
Levy Payers
UK employers in any sector with a pay bill of more than £3 million per year will pay the levy. The levy will be 0.5% of the pay bill collected through PAYE. Employers will however receive an allowance of £15,000 to offset against levy liability.
Once you’ve submitted your organisation’s payments to HMRC, funds will be transferred into your Apprenticeship Service Account, ready to be allocated to your chosen training provider. Employers in England who pay the levy and are committed to apprenticeship training will be able to get out more than they pay into the levy, through a top-up to their digital accounts.
Non-Levy Employers (Co-Investment)
Employers that aren’t liable to pay the Levy (as well as Levy-paying employers that have used up all their funds) will still be able to procure training under a co-investment scheme. This means your organisation will have to pay 5% towards the cost of training, with the government taking on the other 95%.
However, if you’re taking on 16 to 18-year-olds, or 19 to 24-year olds that have a local authority education and health care plan, the government will contribute 100% of the costs associated with your apprenticeships, as well as an additional £1,000 contribution (made at three and 12 month milestones).
Eligibility
Unlike the current system, under the Apprenticeship reforms, there are less barriers to eligibility based on the qualifications of a potential candidate. This means employers can utilise apprenticeship training, whether they’re taking on new entry-level staff, or seeking to upskill their existing staff.
Smaller employers will still need to register with the Digital Apprenticeship Service to procure their training and use the system to select an appropriate apprenticeship from either existing SASE (Specification of Apprenticeship Standards for England) frameworks or the new standards, which are being rolled out to replace them.
If you have any questions regarding apprenticeships or staff training, we are always happy to discuss your requirements and the resulting options for your business. You can call us on 01773 744081 or drop us an email to: info@thederbyshirenetwork.org