Naturally Talented Me’s Post

📅The upcoming election could reshape the future of apprenticeships, with both Labour and Conservative parties proposing significant changes. Labour has proposed to widen the apprenticeship levy, while the Conservatives plan to boost apprenticeship numbers by cutting funding for low-quality degrees.💸 How could these changes impact your organisation's learning and development strategy? Find out more in this FE News article 👇

Employers using the Apprenticeship Levy, check out the new proposals and how it will affect your levy spend in 2025. https://lnkd.in/ewpVTuiV

**CIPD report – ‘Youth apprenticeships and the case for a flexible skills levy.’** 📜 A report published today by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development has revealed that the number of overall apprentices in the UK has dropped, especially among younger people. 📉 The report has called for reform to the existing Apprenticeship Levy to enhance employer investment in skills 💷 and boost opportunities for young people to secure apprenticeships that lead to quality employment. Today’s findings highlight the struggles retailers face on a day to day basis when attempting to upskill their workforce. The inflexible nature of the Apprenticeship Levy means that approximately half of retail’s £250 million contribution to the Levy pot goes unspent. 💰 Government must #BuyIntoRetail and reform the Levy so that retailers can upskill a workforce that makes up almost 20% of UK employment. Read the report in full here 👇 https://lnkd.in/eyFUHp3P

Balancing act: Youth apprenticeships and the case for a flexible skills levy This report outlines recommendations for a more flexible levy and the introduction of an Apprenticeship Guarantee for young people to rebalance financial subsidies towards younger apprentices Useful reading for CMBEs who are involved in apprenticeship provision at members of the Chartered Association of Business Schools in the UK. https://lnkd.in/eyFUHp3P

The new Government has committed to reform the Apprenticeship Levy (introduced under the Conservatives in 2017) to allow businesses to use a to-be-determined portion of the levy pot on other skills training, through a new ‘Growth and Skills Levy’. This is a central part of the Government’s cross-departmental skills strategy and its Growth and Opportunity Missions. Designed well, and with the necessary accompanying reforms, the Growth and Skills Levy has the potential to support a wider apprenticeships system that works far better for businesses large and small and their employees, and unlocks opportunities for young people. Read the report here: https://lnkd.in/ejrjzaFZ

Lead story in the Business section of the Times ‘Huge fall in apprenticeships under ‘broken’ levy’. In the current landscape in which employers are facing a challenging employment landscape this story underlines the urgent need for an industry led reform of the Apprentice Levy. What is deeply concerning is the loss of £4 billions of levy payments to HMG. This money should be ringfenced and secured for future activity.

The Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) need your views. The research will inform potential future reform of the Apprenticeship Levy system, which has been the subject of much debate in the sector. If you are a Greater Manchester tech employer, GMCA wants your views on the apprenticeship levy and attitudes toward reform to inform their policy-making on the issue. The aim is to inform a regional pilot based on what could work better for employers. The survey will take between 2-5 minutes to complete, and your responses would be greatly appreciated. Please could you submit your responses by Friday, 12th July 2024. Apprenticeship Levy Reform Survey: https://buff.ly/4bIG1xv

Productive conversation on apprenticeships and their impact in Parliament yesterday with Seema Malhotra FRSA, Shantanu Rajawat and Phillip Walker, Director of Lifelong Learning at London Borough of Hounslow. While we are proud that apprenticeship starts are growing at a higher rate amongst 18-year-olds in London compared to the national picture, the current apprenticeship levy system is not working as it should. The current system has limited opportunities for young Londoners and fails to provide the flexibility needed by employers. We look forward to continuing to work with national government & Skills England to make the new Growth & Skills levy work for both Londoners and employers to drive productivity, meet skills gaps, and ensure inclusive economic growth. Department for Education IfATE (Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education)

The numbers of apprenticeships falling? Easy to see why..... certainly for retail, the system is not working. The industry could do so much more to help develop people up skill with the tools they need for retail today. Too much of the apprenticeship levy paid by retailers go straight into the Treasury's coffers rather than being reinvested into our industry. Time to reform the levy, surely. Certainly the CIPD agree - as do many others. Perhaps time the government did too!? #buyintoretail #retail #apprenticeships #apprenticeshiplevy

Apprenticeship Reform A new apprenticeship pledge was announce yesterday by Rishi Sunak, as part of a package to reform apprenticeships for SME's. There are two key takeaway messages: 1. The Government will fully fund apprenticeships for small businesses from 1st April 2024 by paying the full cost of training for anyone up to the age of 21. 2. From the start of April, the government will also increase the amount of funding that levy employers can pass on to other businesses, from 25% to 50% of their overall apprenticeship levy. These two changes will be welcomed by SME employers and Training Providers alike, increasing the opportunities for young people to undergo an apprenticeship, by reducing the financial burden for employers. Read More - https://lnkd.in/e-dCYMDa