In spring 2017 the way the government funds Apprenticeships in England changed considerably.
Some employers are now required to contribute to the Apprenticeship Levy, and there have been changes to the funding for Apprenticeship training for all employers. All businesses offering an Apprenticeship for young people aged 16-18 will receive an extra £1000.
Guidance for Levy Paying Businesses
The Apprenticeship Levy requires all employers operating in the UK, with a pay bill over £3 million each year, to invest in Apprenticeships.
If you’re an employer with an annual pay bill of more than £3 million, you will have started paying the Levy in May 2017.
Accessing money paid under the Apprenticeship Levy:
You will access your funding for Apprenticeships through your Digital Apprenticeship Service account. Through the Digital Apprenticeship Service you will:
- Select the Apprenticeship frameworks or standards that you want your staff to undertake
- Choose the training provider or providers who you want to deliver the training
- Choose the organisation that will assess your Apprentices
- Post vacancies for any new Apprenticeship positions you are creating
How St Helens Chamber can help:
St Helens Chamber will carry out a free training needs analysis of your workforce and put a fully costed training plan in place, which allows you to recoup the maximum value from your Levy contributions through investing in staff training.
Guidance for Non-Levy Paying Businesses
Businesses with an annual pay bill of under £3 million are not required to pay an Apprenticeship Levy. Non-Levy paying businesses are free to negotiate and agree their Apprenticeship programme with their chosen training provider.
In England 90% of Apprenticeship training and assessment costs are funded by the government for Non-Levy paying businesses, with the remaining 10% being paid by the business directly to your chosen training provider.
Businesses with fewer than 50 employees will be able to access fully-funded Apprenticeship training for any Apprentices aged 16-18.
How St Helens Chamber can help:
There is no fixed cost for Apprenticeship training, and costs can vary greatly between qualifications.
St Helens Chamber will carry out a free training needs analysis of your workforce and provide you with a fully costed training plan, detailing the best qualifications to suit your business needs and the cost of training. You can rest assured that we will always help you to find the most cost-effective business training.
To find out more call us on 01744 742333 or email workforce@sthelenschamber.com and one of our team will come out to visit you.
