Member Article

CMS Strengthens Board Ahead of Apprenticeship Levy

Two brothers have taken on board-level roles at Batley-based training and apprenticeship provider CMS Vocational Training Limited and CMS Fitness Courses in preparation for the introduction of April’s Apprenticeship Levy which will bring large-scale changes to the sector.

Gareth and Hadyn Luke joined CMS Vocational Training in 2008 and 2009 respectively and started CMS Fitness Courses in 2009. They join Ruth Triggs and Una Lyons on the CMS Board. Gareth, previously operations director, will step up to the role of managing director and Hadyn moves from contracts manager to director with responsibility for formulation and execution of CMS’ business strategy on a day to day basis.

The move comes at a crucial time for employers as the Apprenticeship Levy, which comes into force on 6 April 2017, changes the way apprenticeships are funded. UK employers with an annual pay bill of over £3 million will be required to pay 0.5 per cent of their annual payroll into the Levy with these funds used to pay for new or current members of staff to complete training via an apprenticeship programme. This is part of the Government’s commitment to creating 3 million new apprenticeships by 2020¹. CMS will be working to support employers through these changes.

CMS Vocational Training, which was established in 2000, is an apprenticeship provider to a variety of small, medium and large sized employers across West Yorkshire including Kirklees Active Leisure and Leeds City Council. The company recruits apprentices for its partners and supports them with on and off the job training. It also provides entry level training for young people aged 16-18 right up to senior level including qualifications from the Association of Accounting Technicians (AAT), Chartered Management Institute (CMI) and health and fitness qualifications. Over the past two years CMS has helped over 500 learners achieve an intermediate or advanced apprenticeship and supported over 200 learners in gaining qualifications to move into a new sector or upskill to promote career progression.

Ruth Triggs, chair of the CMS Board, said: “Una and I felt this was absolutely the right time to strengthen the board both in recognition of Gareth’s and Hadyn’s performance at CMS and in anticipation of the new Apprenticeship Levy. We now have four directors taking the company forward as we execute our development and growth. This ensures the company is in the best position it can be to continue the quality and excellence of service it offers going forward.”

Gareth Luke, managing director of CMS, said: “Hadyn and I are passionate about helping people to reach their full potential and lucky enough to be in a position to see this happen every single day. The Apprenticeship Levy will bring some challenges for employers which will impact training and development across the board. We want to be in the strongest position possible to support current and future customers through these changes so that they can train new employees and upskill existing teams which is ultimately great for the local and national economy.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by CMS Vocational Training .