The Right Track Consultancy Ltd’s Post

Thinking about bringing new talent into your business but worried about the cost? Don't worry - The UK government offers fantastic funding routes to help businesses of all sizes invest in apprenticeships! Here's a quick breakdown: 🔸 Levy payers: Employers with a payroll over £3 million a year pay an apprenticeship levy. This levy can then be used to fund the training costs of your apprentices, with the government even adding an extra 10%! 🔹 Non-levy payers: Don't worry if your payroll is under £3 million! The government will cover between 95-100% of the training costs for your apprentices, depending on the size of your business and the age of the learner. That's a massive saving and a great way to access skilled talent. And don't forget, apprenticeships can be used to upskill or help facilitate an internal move for your existing members of staff too! Apprenticeships are a win-win 🏆 - You get to develop a qualified workforce tailored to your needs. - Apprentices gain valuable experience and qualifications while earning. Ready to learn more and level up your workforce with government funding? Speak to me today! #Apprenticeships #Apprentices #Training #Learning #Development #CareerProgression #Prospects #Knowledge #Skills #Behaviours #Experience #Careers #EarlyCareers #Upskilling #Reskilling #Qualifications #Certifications #Accreditations #BlendedLearning #WorkBasedLearning #Hiring #WorkforceDevelopment #TalentDevelopment #ApprenticeshipLevy #Levy #FundedTraining

Why Are UK Employers Still Reluctant to Invest in Apprenticeships? It's 2024, and it's shocking that many UK employers still shy away from apprenticeships. Let's be blunt: it's time to face the facts and challenge the excuses. 🔴 "It's Too Expensive." Really? With government funding and incentives, plus the Apprenticeship Levy, the financial argument doesn't hold water. If small businesses can make it work, so can you. 🔴 "It's a Long-Term Commitment." Yes, it is. And that's precisely the point. Investing in the future workforce should be a priority, not an inconvenience. Are you really too busy to invest in the long-term success of your own industry? 🔴 "It's Too Bureaucratic." Stop hiding behind red tape. The administrative hurdles are manageable, and plenty of support is available. If you can manage your regular business operations, you can handle an apprenticeship scheme. 🔴 "What If They Leave After Training?" Ask yourself: Why would they want to leave? If you provide a supportive environment and opportunities for growth, loyalty shouldn't be an issue. If they do leave, perhaps it’s a reflection of your company culture rather than the concept of apprenticeships. 🔴 "We Need Immediate Productivity." Short-sighted thinking! Investing in apprenticeships means nurturing future leaders and innovators who will drive your business forward. Are you really that averse to planning for the future? The Reality Check: 💡Skill Shortages: You complain about the lack of skilled workers, yet refuse to train them yourselves. Hypocrisy much? 💡Financial Incentives: You're leaving money on the table by not taking advantage of available funds and levies. 💡Employee Loyalty: Investing in apprentices creates a loyal, skilled workforce familiar with your company culture. 💡Innovation and Fresh Perspectives: Apprentices bring new ideas that can revolutionize your business practices. 💡Positive Corporate Image: Supporting apprenticeships shows you care about more than just profits – it shows you care about people and community. So, What’s Your Excuse Now? If you're an employer not embracing apprenticeships, you're part of the problem. It's time to step up, take responsibility, and invest in the future. The benefits are clear, and the excuses are tired. Let’s do better. For our businesses. For our industry. For our future. #Apprenticeships #FutureWorkforce #InvestInPeople #BusinessGrowth #CorporateResponsibility

Have you checked out this cracking article by Lou Doyle from : 🌍 SME Engagement in Apprenticeships isn’t just a UK Problem This is a brilliant article looking at #SMEs and #Apprenticeships. 🦘 Lou particularly compares the UK SME and Apprenticeship challenge with Australia. Just last week the Australian government launched ‘Skills for tomorrow: Shaping the future of Australian Apprenticeships’ ... which called for a renewed focus on SMEs to reinvigorate engagement in apprenticeships. We need some of this in the UK! Lou with her Small business owner hat on... and me as a small business owner of FE News... we both agree (as do most SME's)! Apprenticeships and SMEs are a perfect fit. The Australian Minister for Skills and Training, Andrew Giles states: “It is essential that we get the Australian Apprenticeships system right. We need to have a system with more apprentices finishing their training and gaining the skills and qualifications that we need in our workforce.” 📊 The report highlights that in Australia large employers represent around 5% of all businesses that hired an apprentice, hiring 38% of all apprentices, SMEs represent 95% of all businesses that hired an apprentice in the same period but hired about 60% of all apprentices in 2023. Whilst a like-for-like comparison on available data isn’t as easy as we might hope (comparing UK employers and Apprenticeship starts... and what would be even more interesting would be completions), the Resolution Foundation reported only 41% of apprenticeship starts were with SMEs in England based on 2022 data. 🔎 I am also really interested in the Australian system and the similar challenges here in the UK (Our Dan just returned from Sydney and is now complaining about how cold it is in the UK). ☕ Grab a coffee and check out the full article by Lou on the shared challenges and the recommendations to address positive change in Apprenticeship starts... and increase Apprenticeship completions, check out this cracking article by Lou below: https://lnkd.in/evySUaey #SkillsPolicy #IndustrialStrategy #Apprenticeships #GlobalSkills

Have you checked out this cracking article by Lou Doyle from : 🌍 SME Engagement in Apprenticeships isn’t just a UK Problem This is a brilliant article looking at #SMEs and #Apprenticeships. 🦘 Lou particularly compares the UK SME and Apprenticeship challenge with Australia. Just last week the Australian government launched ‘Skills for tomorrow: Shaping the future of Australian Apprenticeships’ ... which called for a renewed focus on SMEs to reinvigorate engagement in apprenticeships. We need some of this in the UK! Lou with her Small business owner hat on... and me as a small business owner of FE News... we both agree (as do most SME's)! Apprenticeships and SMEs are a perfect fit. The Australian Minister for Skills and Training, Andrew Giles states: “It is essential that we get the Australian Apprenticeships system right. We need to have a system with more apprentices finishing their training and gaining the skills and qualifications that we need in our workforce.” 📊 The report highlights that in Australia large employers represent around 5% of all businesses that hired an apprentice, hiring 38% of all apprentices, SMEs represent 95% of all businesses that hired an apprentice in the same period but hired about 60% of all apprentices in 2023. Whilst a like-for-like comparison on available data isn’t as easy as we might hope (comparing UK employers and Apprenticeship starts... and what would be even more interesting would be completions), the Resolution Foundation reported only 41% of apprenticeship starts were with SMEs in England based on 2022 data. 🔎 I am also really interested in the Australian system and the similar challenges here in the UK (Our Dan just returned from Sydney and is now complaining about how cold it is in the UK). ☕ Grab a coffee and check out the full article by Lou on the shared challenges and the recommendations to address positive change in Apprenticeship starts... and increase Apprenticeship completions, check out this cracking article by Lou below: https://lnkd.in/edjYMpS7 #SkillsPolicy #IndustrialStrategy #Apprenticeships #GlobalSkills

Apprenticeship Funding Explained! Your business could access up to £18,000 in government-funded apprenticeship training—are you making the most of it? Here’s what you need to know: Large Employers (Levy Payers) If your annual payroll exceeds £3 million, you’re required to contribute 0.5% of your wage bill into the Apprenticeship Levy. But here’s the good news—this isn’t a tax you lose! You can use it to: Fully fund apprenticeship training for your team at no additional cost. Support new talent or upskill your current workforce, from entry-level roles to senior leaders. Pro Tip: If your levy funds go unused after 24 months, they expire and go back to the government—so don’t let that money go to waste! Transfer Unused Funds If you don’t need all your levy funds, you can transfer up to 25% to smaller businesses in your supply chain or local community. This strengthens partnerships and helps smaller organizations grow. Small & Medium Employers (Non-Levy Payers) If your annual payroll is less than £3 million, you’re a non-levy payer—but that doesn’t mean you miss out on funding! The government will cover 95% of apprenticeship training costs, meaning you only contribute 5%. ✅ Example: If an apprenticeship costs £10,000, you’ll only pay £500—the government covers the rest! 💼 Whether you’re looking to develop leaders or technical experts, apprenticeship funding makes it cost-effective and impactful. Want to know how much funding your team qualifies for? We’ve got you covered! Reach out today to learn more. 📩 enquiries@cherithsimmons.co.uk | 🌐 cherithsimmons.co.uk #Apprenticeships #FundingExplained #ProfessionalDevelopment #LeadershipTraining #CherithSimmons #Upskilling #CareerGrowth

📊 Report highlights striking parallels between UK and Australian SME apprenticeship challenges Interesting analysis from Lou Doyle, CEO, Mesma (FE News - https://lnkd.in/edjYMpS7) drawing insight from Australia's 'Skills for Tomorrow' report (https://lnkd.in/g49qFx7a), that reports while SMEs in Australia represent 95% of businesses hiring apprentices and account for 60% of all apprentice hires, they face significant barriers to engagement. In comparison, UK data from the Resolution Foundation shows only 41% of apprenticeship starts were with SMEs in 2022. Australian Skills Minister Andrew Giles emphasizes: "It is essential that we get the Australian Apprenticeships system right. We need to have a system with more apprentices finishing their training and gaining the skills and qualifications that we need in our workforce." Key barriers facing SMEs: 🔹 Financial constraints and rising costs 🔹 Complex system navigation without dedicated HR resources 🔹 Limited experience in apprenticeship management 🔹 Lower completion rates compared to larger organizations Innovative solutions proposed: 💡 Targeted quarterly financial incentives for SMEs 💡 Enhanced cost-of-living support for apprentices 💡 Pilot programs focusing on workplace readiness 💡 "Apprentice-ready" certifications for SMEs 💡 Innovation fund to encourage large business mentorship of SMEs Insights for policymakers & employers: 🔹 Focus incentives where they matter most - SMEs need more targeted support than large enterprises 🔹 Consider supply chain collaboration between large and small businesses 🔹 Simplify systems while providing practical support 🔹 Invest in workplace culture and readiness programs 🔹 Address both employer AND apprentice financial challenges #Apprenticeships #SME #SkillsDevelopment #WorkforceDevelopment #VocationalTraining

Another amazing achievement by the team. To jump from 50 to 13 is a huge achievement and another milestone for the business. This ranking shows the pride and passion the team all put in to ensuring we develop the careers of all of those studying for a professional qualification. As someone who is also studying, this shows that good things come to those who push forward with the drive to improve your skills. #apprenticeships #top100 #caroola #mmu #paragonskills #mbkb #firstintuition #QA #gingernuttraining #kaplan #creativedigitaldesignprofessional

Five things to consider when taking on apprentices

A glancing reference to #apprenticeships in the PM's speech today, supported by a very interesting press release. It introduces the concepts of 'foundation apprenticeships' and the prospect of apprenticeships which run for less than 12 months - both of which are things I have views on. The following paragraph is the real story for today, though: "To fund this, employers are being asked to rebalance their funding for apprenticeships, asking them to invest in younger workers. This will also involve businesses funding more of their level 7 apprenticeships – equivalent to a master’s degree and often accessed by older or already well qualified employees – outside of the levy." ...Which I think means the (re)introduction of 'co-investment' for some, if not necessarily all, level seven apps. I say that because I'm guessing that's what 'funding more of their...' means in the para. If they'd meant 'all' they could have just omitted 'more of their' from the para - and this is 100% the precision that goes into drafting this stuff; believe me. We're going to hear all sorts of noise from employers and their rep bodies (hi Neil Carberry 👋 ❤️) about how the levy is already employers' money so they're being asked to coinvest alongside themselves. Technically true - but if we want skills, productivity and inclusive growth, we do need to spend more money on skills; and I agree passionately with Govt's analysis that we need to recentre apprenticeships around young people. Colleagues in HEI's with substantial degree / masters' apprenticeship provisions will need to start doing some scenario planning for what may play out here - and how they can position to be successful in what could be a rapidly and constantly evolving operating environment given the role described for Skills England in aligning skills / industrial strategy. Colleagues leading training providers and colleges will likewise need to start thinking about how they'll (re)grow dynamic, place and productivity focussed provisions including foundation / short / 'full' apprenticeships. I'm interested in colleagues thinking on how - and how quickly - they'll do this, working with awarding organisations to shape product development, as well. So quite a lot in quite a short PN. Like he said: change begins! https://lnkd.in/eNppshrJ

Happy #WkDevMonth from the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) Registered Apprenticeship Technical Assistance Center of Excellence for Strategic Partnerships and Systems Alignment! https://lnkd.in/e2a64abR We are proud to celebrate the month, originally created by our Center partner National Association of Workforce Development Professionals (NAWDP). https://lnkd.in/g9-ek28 To kick off the month, we’d like to first highlight a valuable resource that’s a great starting point for #workforce practitioners. Developed with NAWDP, our “Workforce System Registered Apprenticeship Baseline Knowledge Report” identifies specific registered apprenticeship-related knowledge gaps in the workforce system. https://lnkd.in/g2YkkRVe America’s public workforce system builds the workforce that employers need in communities across the U.S. and provides job seekers with training and employment supports to move into high-quality careers that provide a family-supporting wage. Our work at the Center is creating tools and providing technical assistance to help workforce system leaders and front-line staff create scalable, sustainable partnerships to accelerate Registered Apprenticeship (RA) adoption and improve alignment with our nation’s apprenticeship system. RA is the most time-tested, proven model of workforce development, and according to U.S. DOL data, provides both employers and apprentices with critical benefits. Employers earn a median ROI through apprentice productivity of 44.3 percent. This means that for every $100 an employer invests in an RA program, it generates $144.30 in total benefits. RA also provides job seekers with an average starting wage of $80,000 after program completion and an average of $300,000 more in earnings over their career than non-apprentice peers. Over the next few weeks, we'll share promising practices, resources, and tools to support state and local workforce board staff in their RA alignment work. #workforcematters #workforcedevelopment #registeredapprenticeship #apprenticeship