Anne Milton’s Post

The state's fiscal year 2025 budget invests $3.3 million in Massachusetts Registered Apprenticeship—a key tool in the Healey-Driscoll Administration’s toolbox to build a robust talent pipeline for today and develop, attract, and retain a future workforce. Check out our latest blog which highlights our commitment to expanding Massachusetts Registered Apprenticeship.

This #SocialMobilityDay, our very own Paula Coughlan is calling for the next government to reform the Apprenticeship Levy and give people the skills they need to thrive.   Did you know? 🤝 Apprenticeships in retail are a key enabler of social mobility as they introduce people into work and equip them with lifelong skills 🛍 Retail employs nearly 20% of the UK's workforce 💰 Half of retail's £250 million contribution to the Levy is left unused 👩💼 At Currys we have around 300 apprentices, and would love to expand our programme   As summarised by Paula: "The UK urgently needs to reform the Apprenticeship Levy into a broader Skills Levy. This would allow businesses like ours to offer more apprenticeships and invest in a wider range of high-quality, accredited courses. We’re already doing so much through our state-of-the-art training facilities and programmes, but we’re constrained by the number of apprenticeships we can offer due to inflexibility of the Levy. This means we, like other retailers, aren’t making the positive impact at scale that we could be." Read Paula's full blog, in partnership with the British Retail Consortium, below. ⬇⬇⬇ https://lnkd.in/eAE3BupU #BuyIntoRetail #ApprenticeshipLevy #Skills

Last spaces available for May enrolment! 📣 If you're looking to upskill your workforce or are interested in gaining a qualification yourself, Creative Sport & Leisure have multiple courses that might suit your goals! But hurry, these spaces are going quick and now is your last chance to enrol before May! What's in it for you? 💭 Well, from the 1st of April 2024, SME employers who do not pay the levy no longer have to contribute to the cost of apprenticeship training for 16–21-year-olds – the government is fully funding the training costs for these individuals. Apprenticeships contribute valuable skills to your business, and the government provides a £1,000 incentive to employers when they recruit apprentices aged 16-18. This not only proves to be a cost-effective approach to staffing but also saves time, with Creative Sport & Leisure overseeing the initial recruitment stages 👏 If you'd like to learn more, you can do so by contacting Matthew Spenceley

The UCAS mission is to inspire and empower people to make aspirational choices about the full range of post-16 options. The inclusion of apprenticeships on the UCAS Tariff will enhance the visibility of pathways to higher education for apprentices, and support universities and colleges to understand apprenticeships alongside A levels, T Levels, and other Level 3 programmes of study. Following engagement with sector stakeholders from across the UK, UCAS has developed a model for allocating Tariff points to apprenticeships that we believe meets the aims and guiding principles of the project, as set out in the engagement document. UCAS now wants to take the views of the wider sector on this model. After reviewing responses to the public engagement exercise, it is hoped that UCAS Tariff points for apprenticeships will be available for providers to consider when assessing applications to higher education from September 2024 onwards. UCAS are inviting all interested parties for responses between Thursday 23 May 2024 until Thursday 20 June 2024. All feedback received will be reviewed and a formal announcement on the outcome will be made in the summer. Any questions please contact [email protected]. https://lnkd.in/eGggd8mq

The Executive Development Network are delighted with the Government's reform package to boost apprenticeships! 🎉 From 1st April, apprentices aged 21 and under will be fully funded for small employers. The new measures will also allow larger businesses to transfer a greater proportion of unused apprenticeship levy funds. Commenting on the news, Mike Worley, Managing Director at HIT Training said: “Increasing the level of funds that large levy-paying employers can transfer to other businesses from 25% to 50% will give small employers further opportunities to build a skilled workforce. These extra funds will go towards apprentice training and support individuals into meaningful and rewarding employment. HIT has championed extra support for small businesses since the levy was launched, and we implore the government to extend this further by funding apprenticeships for all ages in small businesses.” To read the full details, click here: https://bit.ly/3IKn8OU

Webinar Highlights: Apprenticeship Levy Insights 🌟 Navigating the Autumn Budget: Discover how to optimize your apprenticeship levy! In this clip, Andrea Reynolds shares insights on the new flexibility to allocate 50% of your 0.5% payroll levy towards training and upskilling your team. Watch the full webinar for more insights on our YouTube channel: https://bit.ly/4fxL2LK #Swoop #AutumnBudget2024

"The CIPD has long championed apprenticeships. However, we have also raised concerns around the impact of the apprenticeship levy and associated reforms. These include the worrying drop in apprenticeships starts for young people and the collapse in apprenticeships in small and medium businesses. We believe that if the Apprenticeship Levy was reformed into a more flexible training levy, employers could use it to develop their people through other forms of accredited training and skills development alongside providing apprenticeships in a way that would meet the skills needs of business more effectively. Given a potential change of government, and with Labour's proposals for the replacement of the Apprenticeship Levy with a 'growth and skills levy', we are keen to seek our members views on the changes they might like to see to the system. What the session will cover: CIPD's latest data and research on the impact of the Apprenticeship Levy. Hear from British Engines on how they're continuously improving their apprenticeships offering and how they’re encouraging more young people to apply/ access their apprenticeships schemes. Facilitated discussion to gather member views on the below questions which will be used within an upcoming CIPD policy report on the reform of the levy: 1) What are the current challenges facing you as employers and what changes are needed to the system to drive business investment in skills? 2) How can we support young people access apprenticeship opportunities? About the CIPD Northern Policy Forum The CIPD Northern Policy Forum was established in 2021 to give HR and people development professionals a voice to help shape and influence public policy on the future world of work and support the government’s levelling-up agenda. The expertise and insight gained through the forum is used to help the CIPD respond to work-related government consultations and recommend vital changes to policy, as well as create best practice guidance for employers and policy makers. The forum’s online sessions also provide an opportunity to find out more about the CIPD’s public policy influencing work across a range of workplace areas including health and wellbeing, inclusion and diversity and pay and reward."

Knowledge Applied is not just a statement, it's our way.

In the Government's spring budget announcement, SME businesses received a welcome boost: the removal of the co-investment fee that previously obligated employers to contribute toward the cost of apprentices' training. The Government has pledged to fully fund Apprenticeships in small businesses starting April 1st, covering the entire training cost for individuals up to the age of 21. This move aims to alleviate financial burdens on businesses and create more opportunities for young people to initiate their careers. Jamie Rowley, Director of Apprenticeships & Employer Services at City College Plymouth, emphasised the significance of this announcement, stating that it would be well-received by training providers and employers alike. He noted that this initiative would open up more avenues for young individuals seeking career opportunities. For instance, an employer hiring a plumbing apprentice with a training cost of £21,000 would save £1,050 by no longer paying the 5% co-investment fee. City College's Employer Solutions team is ready to assist your business with all its training and development needs. For advice and guidance, please contact us at 01752 305026.

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.