The government today announced a package of reforms to
ensure the Apprenticeship Levy provides people with the skills they
need to succeed.
The changes are aimed at providing flexibility for businesses so
they can take full advantage of the benefits of employing
apprentices, and to help as many people as possible find the
right training to equip them for the new economy.
An extra £90 million of government funding will enable employers
to invest a quarter of their apprenticeship funds on people
working for businesses in their supply chain – boosting the
number able to benefit from high-quality apprenticeship training.
A further £5 million was announced for the Institute for
Apprenticeships to introduce new standards and updating existing
ones so that more courses can be offered – meaning more choice
for those considering their training options. The government will
discontinue the old frameworks so that all new apprenticeships
will be on the same higher-quality standards by the start of the
2020/21 academic year.
The government has worked closely with business groups to ensure
the Apprenticeship Levy works for employers who are at the heart
of delivering this move to world-leading training.
In the coming weeks, the government will set out a process to
seek views on the operation of the levy after 2020 to ensure it
supports the development of the skilled workforce businesses need
for the new economy.
- the apprenticeship levy is making good progress – with 1.41
million apprenticeships started since May 2015. There were over
161,000 starts reported on apprenticeship standards in 2017/18
(provisional), more than six times higher than in 2016/17
- the government is also establishing a National Retraining
Scheme - during this Parliament - to support adults across the
country and equip the workforce with the skills needed for the
new economy. While this scheme is developed, the government is
also funding additional projects including £30m to test the use
of AI and innovative Edtech, and £34m for construction skills
funding
