A New Era for Apprenticeships…

1. We’ve entered a new era for Apprenticeships. Thanks to Government Reforms, which began in May last year, Apprenticeships are no longer just for young people starting out on their career; regardless of age or past qualifications, anyone can now undertake an Apprenticeship.

   Many companies are beginning to take advantage of the changes, and yet at the same time, so many are unaware of the scope that’s now at their fingertips.

   Here we explain the opportunities in more detail… we’ll talk about how the Government Reforms and Apprenticeship Levy have changed the Apprenticeship criteria and in doing so, opened further opportunity for a wider scope of learners to embark on an Apprenticeship.

   No age restriction

   Apprenticeship Reform has meant a change in criteria, thus enabling learners of all ages to gain new skills through an Apprenticeship. As a result, Apprenticeships can now be used to support staff development through upskilling and retraining.

   Upskill your existing staff

   Many employees still aren’t fully aware they can use Apprenticeships to develop the skills of their existing workforce, otherwise known as upskilling. Apprenticeships are an excellent way of increasing the skillset of your current employees.

   So, for businesses who do not plan on bringing new recruits into their company, and would rather bring new skills to people who already have experience in the organisation, Apprenticeships bring new opportunities to upskill employees from your existing workforce.

   Apprenticeships for existing staff provide a mixture of learning and on-the-job training for someone you already know has the potential and motivation to go further in your company, making it a win-win for your business. What’s more, not only can Apprenticeships support existing employees develop new skills in different occupations, they can support progression planning through the delivery of team leading, supervisory and management programmes.

   Graduates can study Apprenticeships too

   Prior to May 2017, graduates were not able to study an Apprenticeship as they were not allowed to study at a lower level than the highest qualification they had attained. This is now a thing of the past and graduates are able to take advantage of the development opportunities Apprenticeships bring.  That said, there are rules to be adhered to; that the Apprenticeship delivers new or different skills to the graduate’s existing skill set, i.e. someone who completed an English degree can now study a L2/3/4 Business Apprenticeship. This change allows graduates to gain new skills in different areas, and is ideal for candidates who are thinking of changing roles or taking on new responsibilities in the workplace.

   Has the time come to revolutionise your business?

   It’s only a matter of time before businesses across England revolutionise their recruitment and skills development practices through the introduction of Apprenticeships. In fact, many have begun to develop Apprenticeship Academies to train new and upskill existing employees as part of HR and staff development strategies.  The business benefits and level of qualifications that learners can gain through an Apprenticeship is becoming increasingly valuable … to both business leaders and their staff. Through new Apprenticeships, developed by groups of employers to meet their industry needs, apprentices can bridge skills gap and build a stronger workforce.

   NLTG can help…

   Apprenticeship Reform has been put in place by the UK Government to ensure UK businesses have a long lasting and productive workforce. Different funding rules will apply depending on the size of your company, but all allow you to take advantage of new Government funding, so why don’t you?

   At NLTG, we’re here to help… we understand that Apprenticeship rules and funding can be complex and we can answer your questions and work with you to take advantage of the changes. Simply contact our Employer Engagement Team on 01254 300779, or email eet@nltg.co.uk.