Apprentices: Small Businesses

(asked on 22nd May 2018) - View Source

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to encourage small and medium sized enterprises to offer more apprenticeships.


Answered by
 Portrait
Lord Agnew of Oulton
This question was answered on 6th June 2018

The latest phase of our employer engagement campaign is aimed at encouraging small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) who have employed apprentices in the past to continue their recruitment and upskilling of apprentices and attract new SMEs to hiring apprentices. SMEs with questions about apprenticeships can access the National Apprenticeship Service national business helpline. We also work with SME ambassadors and advisers so that they can showcase the benefits of apprenticeships.

For employers with fewer than 50 employees, 100 per cent of the cost of training is paid 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. Non-levy paying employers receiving transfers from larger levy paying employers can use these transferred funds to cover 100 per cent of apprenticeship costs.

More widely it is recognised that smaller businesses value apprenticeships and are prepared to invest in them. Co-investment is an important part of our reforms to funding, making sure that employers take ownership of the apprenticeship by having to make a financial contribution towards it.

Reticulating Splines