With National Apprenticeship Week well underway, Stoke-on-Trent City Council is highlighting a Government-backed scheme to help spread funding for apprenticeships.
The Apprenticeship Levy Share Scheme enables large employers to transfer unused Levy funds to another business to pay for their apprenticeship training and assessment.
The employers including local authorities are enabled to direct the money to a business or charity of their choice.
The Apprenticeship Levy was introduced by the Government to help fund apprenticeships and is designed to put the funding in the hands of employers.
The Levy applies to all employers in every sector in the UK, with an allowance of £15,000; if they have an annual pay bill more than £3 million or are connected to any companies or charities for Employment Allowance purposes and have a combined annual pay bill of more than £3 million.
A home care provider based in Hanley became one of the most recent beneficiaries of an Apprenticeship Levy-Share, after having an application approved to work with Stoke-on-Trent City Council.
Leaders from Teasdale Healthcare were visited by the City Council’s Apprenticeship Hub team six weeks ago to be informed of their successful application.
The Apprenticeship Levy-Share will cover the costs of two existing employees who have already completed Levels 2 and 4 apprenticeships and will now go on to undertake a Level 5 in Leadership and Management.
Anthony Teasdale, owner of Teasdale Healthcare said: “We have found investing in apprenticeships has helped with staff retention and staff can see that they can lead on to promotion within the company.
“Most promotion opportunities in the company are taken by internal staff – and apprenticeships give them an advantage. The Council’s levy share offer has made a difference to the numbers of staff we can afford to let start an apprenticeship at any one time.”
Councillor Duncan Walker, Cabinet Member for Adult Services said: “It is fantastic to see Teasdale Healthcare have secured their application for the Apprenticeship Levy-Share, which will give two of their staff the opportunity to complete their Level 5 qualification on health and social care.
“We are open to approaches from companies in the health and social care sector who are looking to upskill their staff via the apprenticeship levy-share.”
For further information on the Apprenticeship Levy-Share contact David O’Connell or Janet Barker at [email protected].
