The Department of Education has released a new policy document to confirm and review changes and updates for employers around new apprenticeship funding in England for new starts from the 1st of August 2020 which updates the current policy which has been in place since April 2019 and the review works on an ongoing basis to support growth in quality apprenticeships. The new policy includes:
- published funding bands for individual standards
- the apprenticeship funding rules that set out, in more detail, how this funding policy will work in practice expectations of employers and training providers
The publication is for employers with a workforce in England and training providers who provide training for English apprenticeships along with
As described in the summary, businesses that offer apprenticeships view them as beneficial to their long-term success. Hiring an apprentice is a productive and effective way for any business to grow talent and develop a motivated, skilled, and qualified workforce. As the economy recovers from the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, apprenticeships will be more important than ever in helping businesses to recruit the right people, and develop the skills they need to respond to conditions and grow – both now and in the long-term.
Therefore, the policy is designed to support and protect current apprentices and to help employers maintain or rebuild the pipeline of new apprenticeship starts.
The policy also includes a range of flexibility that support current apprentices to remain in learning and continue with their apprenticeship and supporting employers during the economic recovery.
Also, within the policy are incentive payments for hiring a new apprentice and these will be available to employers who hire an apprentice between 1 August 2020 and 31 January 2021. The apprentice must be a new employee to the business, have a contract of employment start date between 1 August 2020 and 31 January 2021 (inclusive) and must not have been employed by the employer within the six months prior to the contract start date.
For more details, the policy can be found here