Making the most of the apprenticeship levy

By Charlotte Scheffmann, assistant principal of Accrington and Rossendale College.

You probably already know that from May 2017 companies with annual staffing costs of over £3m are paying into a ‘levy pot’ for apprenticeship training within their company.

All other businesses are classed as ‘non levy’ companies and are entitled to receive government contributions to support their apprenticeship training.

The question is: how do you access this funding in order to benefit your company from apprenticeship provision?

Well here is a brief outline of the answer: A tendering process has recently been launched by funders to identify training providers who will support you through the process from start to finish. Outcomes from the tendering process are expected later in September, so watch this space.

It is expected that these non-levy contracts will be up and running from January 2018, which means businesses will continue to engage with successful colleges and training providers to engage apprentices who can support business objectives as they provide solutions to skills shortages, succession planning, fresh ideas and a skilled workforce for the future.

Apprenticeships for under 16 to 18 year olds in a company with up to 50 employees are still free to the employer.

In other cases, employers will be expected to make a contribution of 10% towards the costs associated with training whilst the government contract provides the other 90%. Accrington & Rossendale College, along with others, is working hard to support employers and businesses to find their way through the world of apprenticeship reforms, making sure you receive all the financial support that you are entitled to.

Accrington & Rossendale College is recognised as a leading training provider in the North West of England. We are experts in delivering and designing training for businesses in a wide range of sectors. We work closely with over 3,000 regional and national employers to develop the highly skilled, productive and loyal workforces of the future in a cost effective way.