Member Article

Making the apprenticeship levy work for your business

By Michaela Reaney, managing director of Gradvert.

It’s been almost one year since the Government’s new apprenticeship levy came into force and many organisations are still trying to understand how it impacts their business.

For those with annual pay bills in excess of £3 million, the call to action is very clear. But what about non-levy paying organisations? How does it impact them?

Here at Gradvert, we’ve been working closely with our clients and the business community in the North East to dispel some of the myths and confusion around the apprenticeship levy. It can feel daunting, but it doesn’t have to be that way.

The new reforms have in fact opened the door for organisations to access funding that can help develop staff and scale their business. By understanding the levy, businesses can maximise what it has to offer.

We’ve paid particular attention to non-levy paying businesses to support them in accessing Government-sponsored funding for training and development in their workplaces.

The policy changes mean businesses with a pay bill of under £3m - so non-levy paying organisations - are now eligible for Government funding totaling £9 in every £10 of training costs.

The changes have also had an impact on who in an organisation can benefit from the funding.

When people talk about apprenticeships, thoughts immediately turn to young people of school leaving age looking for an alternative to the traditional routes to employment.

The introduction of the apprenticeship levy means funding can be spent on the development of existing employees at any level within the organisation, from entry level to senior management. There is also no cap on how many learners a non-levy training provider can have trained.

At Gradvert we specialise in offering bespoke solutions for organisations embarking on the training and development of their teams. We can support businesses in accessing funding from the apprenticeship levy and use our unique 360° approach to improve business performance by improving people.

The apprenticeship levy provides lots of opportunity for businesses large and small to invest in their staff to ensure they meet their full potential.

We understand navigating the changes introduced by the apprenticeship levy can be challenging, which is why we’ve done the hard work on your behalf.

To find out more about the apprenticeship levy and how it impacts your business, visit £www.gradvert.com/apprenticeship-levy. Or alternatively, please give us a call, we’d love to hear from you – 0191 607 0225.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Astute.Work .