Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps his Department is taking to encourage more SMEs to take on apprentices in Nottinghamshire.

There are a number of measures in place to support smaller employers and encourage them to offer apprenticeships.

For the smallest employers with fewer than 50 employees, the government pays 100 per cent of the cost of training for apprentices who are either 16 to 18 years old, 19 to 24 year old care leavers or 19 to 24 year olds with an Education, Health and Care Plan.

In response to employer feedback, we have introduced transfers. This enables apprenticeship levy-paying employers to transfer funds to as many employers as they choose, including small and medium sized employers (SMEs), within their 10 per cent maximum allowance. This supports smaller employers to access apprenticeships and encourages them to obtain high quality training.

The National Apprenticeship Service national business helpline supports SMEs in Nottinghamshire, and throughout England, providing information about apprenticeships.

The latest phase of our nationwide employer engagement marketing campaign is now live and is targeted at SMEs, with radio advertisements featuring companies who have benefitted from apprenticeships and signposting listeners to our website to learn more about hiring an apprentice.