Weston College has set up an advice service for employers to help guide them through the new apprenticeship levy, due to be introduced in April 2017.

Last Friday (12th August) the government published proposals for a new funding model for apprenticeships and further details on the apprenticeship levy. The funding will support people of all ages to gain high-quality skills and experience and help employers to offer more training opportunities and build a skilled workforce.

The key points are:

• The start date for accessing the new funding system will be 1st May 2017
• The system applies to both levy and non-levy paying employers
• Starts prior to 1st May will be funded for the duration of the apprenticeship under current funding terms and conditions in place at start of programme
• Non-levy paying employers will not use the Digital Apprenticeship Service (DAS) until at least 2018
• 15 funding bands have been proposed, with the upper limit of these bands ranging from £1,500 to £27,000. All existing and new apprenticeship frameworks and standards will be placed within one of these funding bands
• Co-investment is a requirement of the new system for non-levy paying employers or employers who have used up their levy and it is proposed that employers co-invest 5 per cent of the costs, with government paying the remaining 95 per cent
• For employers with less than 50 employees it is proposed to waive the co-investment element if these employers take on a 16 to 18-year-old apprentice
• English and maths functional skills funding will not require an employer contribution nor will it be taken from levy paying employer’s accounts; it will continue to be paid directly to the provider
• Re-training – it is proposed that eligible learners will be able to undertake apprenticeships at a lower level than their current education level ‘to acquire substantive new skills’.

The levy was first introduced in the 2015 autumn statement and in response to a number of enquiries Weston College has set up a Levy Solution Service.

Liz Redwood, Executive Director of Apprenticeships and Commercial Strategy, said: “Weston College is able to support you through this process whether you are a levy paying employer or non-levy paying employer.

“We can help you begin to plan how to make the most of the new system, so please contact the Apprenticeships Team on 01934 411 594 or email us on business.enterprise.centre@weston.ac.uk to book a free advice and guidance session."