One of the most highly anticipated announcements of the Autumn Statement was the Apprenticeship levy rate, which has been set at 0.5%.
The government has placed a strong focus on Apprenticeships in its current term of Parliament, with the aim of creating 3 million new places by 2020.
With a rate of 0.5%, it’s expected that the Apprenticeship levy will raise around £3 billion in funds for Apprenticeships, which is great news for those delivering, or planning to deliver, Apprenticeship programmes to learners.
Prior to the announcements, it was thought that providers who weren’t spending a significant amount of their Adult Skills Budget (ASB) on the delivery of Apprenticeships could see their allocation cut considerably, so it’s good news that ASB can still be spent on other provision.
The levy will be placed on large employers, and the 0.5% will apply to the cost of their wage bills. It was previously anticipated that the levy would only apply to employers with a certain amount of employees, but instead only businesses whose payroll costs exceed £3 million will be charged. This will be offset by a £15,000 allowance for each business contributing to the levy.
If you’re not already delivering Apprenticeships, there couldn’t be a better time to start. With funding earmarked specifically for Apprenticeships and a renewed focus on the training programmes, now is the time to firm up your Apprenticeship offer.
NCFE has a range of full and part Apprenticeships, available at Intermediate, Advanced and Higher level, in a range of sectors including:
- Business, Administration and Law
- Education and Training
- Engineering and Manufacturing Technologies
- Health, Public Services and Care
- Information and Communication Technology
- Leisure, Travel and Tourism
- Retail and Commercial Enterprise
Our Apprenticeships are supported by award-winning customer service and our standout Functional Skills offer, which includes a 6 day turnaround on results and a host of free learning resources, including free access to ForSkills’ initial assessment and diagnostics tool.
If you’d like to get in touch to see how NCFE can help you create or refine your Apprenticeships offer, you can email [email protected] or call 0191 240 8833
