Using Apprenticeships
Several recent reports and studies, including that by national education and training company, Learning Curve Group, suggest that employers are not embracing the UK Government’s apprenticeship reform. Not only are they not using the Apprenticeship Levy funds but they do not understand the reforms themselves.
It is interesting to see that the purveyors of this doom and gloom are often organisations that offer commercial qualifications. Therefore, income streams are likely to be affected as apprenticeship training providers step-up and embrace the reforms.
So, in my opinion, right before the start of National Apprenticeship Week 2020, it is absolutely and totally unhelpful to try and find out if companies are using their Levy funds. There have been plenty of surveys carried out and research performed to indicate that this is not happening anyway.
Therefore, it is totally inappropriate for any organisation to publish another survey, just before a week when we should be celebrating what professional apprenticeship qualifications mean. Not only for payroll but for all professions.
What is helpful and responsible is to give employers guidance and try and establish what the barriers are to using these professional qualifications. Remember, the apprenticeship regime requires a Standard and End-Point Assessment Plan, both written by professionals for their specific profession.
In my opinion again, any new regime takes time to get off of the ground. Any new regime will require some tinkering around the edges and constant review to ensure that it remains relevant. However, how can there be employers that are spending ￡millions in Levy funds (or entitled to monies from the UK Government) and not utilising them?
I suggest two overwhelming reasons:
In my time as Trailblazer Chair for the Level 3 Payroll Administrator Apprenticeship, I have heard some absolute rubbish that has been fed to employers. Things like ‘the payroll apprenticeship is not ready for delivery’ and ‘give it 6 months and Levy funds can be used for commercial payroll training’.
Let’s be clear:
- The Payroll Administrator Apprenticeship is ready and is being delivered and
- Apprenticeship reform (in England) is a UK Government flagship policy. Neither the reform nor the Levy show any signs of going away. Far from it
Let’s be honest and say that, maybe, the UK Government have not communicated the reforms in a way that employers understood. The reforms came at the same time as the introduction of the Apprenticeship Levy and employers and professional bodies were more intent on communicating how to pay the Levy rather than how to use it. I stand guilty on this one.
However, given that the Levy is a day-to-day part of payroll life, it is not too late to be positive and communicate proactively now. That is the point of this article. I would like to see every employer in England utilising the Levy funds that they pay or making use of the co-funding with the UK Government when they are not a Levy payer.
It is worth mentioning that skills is a devolved policy and all of the below refers to the regime in England (or where 50% of working hours are in England). For apprenticeships in the devolved nations see:
So, in the spirit of good communication, see these links:
- National Apprenticeship Week 2020
- ‘A guide to apprenticeships’
- ‘Employer guides to apprenticeships’ (see particularly the ‘Top 7 Myths’ one)
- ‘A parent’s guide to apprenticeships’
- ‘How to register and use the apprenticeship service as an employer’
- ‘How to take on an apprentice’ (good overall guidance)
- ‘Apprenticeships: off-the-job training’ (essential that you read the ‘mythbusters’ one)
- ‘Apprenticeship funding: how it works’ (take it slowly!)
- 'Apprenticeship funding rules for employers'
- Apprenticeship agreement: template
- Level 3 Payroll Administrator Apprenticeship
- FAT Website (Find Apprenticeship Training providers)
Apprenticeships are courses leading to professional qualifications. They are available to all, not just new and young employees. As long as the learning is new learning then Levy funds can be used.
I know that I sound like a politician, however, let’s be positive about a positive reform. Surely it cannot be wrong to have professional training using professional Standards and End-Point Assessment Plans written by people in the profession. If all professional bodies came on board rather than some being constantly negative, this would be a start.
In National Apprenticeship Week 2020, let’s ‘fire it up’ and at least make an effort to understand the reforms and utilise the Levy funds (and co-funding).
