APPRENTICESHIP REFORMS
The government has made a commitment to grow apprenticeships. They are a very effective way of developing your workforce, especially in such times as the recovery from Corona Virus.
The government has also made some major changes to the structure of apprenticeships, and to the way that they are funded.
The recent reforms to apprenticeships are in three main areas:
-
Changing the apprenticeship product, by moving away from the old frameworks to new employer-designed standards based apprenticeships.
-
The introduction of a change to the way that employers access apprenticeship funding. This is now done via the ‘Apprenticeship Service’, online. The intention is that all employers will be using the Apprenticeship Service by May 2021
-
The introduction of a large employer levy, which took place in 2017
These reforms have had a dramatic effect in the way that the apprenticeship and skills ‘market’ operates. It has certainly made employers think differently in terms of their approach to the recruitment and training and development of their staff.
Since April 2017, employers with payroll costs of £3m or over, are already paying 0.5% of their payroll as an apprenticeship levy contribution . They can use their levy contribution, as funding for the training and assessment of apprentices.
Allen Apprenticeships and Skills can offer a bespoke service to all employers, whatever their size, by outlining in detail the impact that these reforms to apprenticeships will have on them, and how they should respond.
These reforms to apprenticeships give excellent opportunities to employers, to introduce or grow an apprenticeship programme. We can guide you on your journey!