Government reveals more on Apprenticeship Levy as BWF responds to Apprenticeship Inquiry

With further details on the Apprenticeship Levy emerging and a major shake-up of training provisions expected, BWF responded to the Inquiry on Apprenticeships from the Sub-Committee on Education, Skills and the Economy.

The inquiry asked a number of crucial question such as ‘What affect the Government target of three million apprentices by 2020 may have on the 'skills gap’’, ‘How the proposals for an apprenticeships levy should be implemented’, and ‘What needs to be done to improve take-up of apprenticeships amongst 16–19 year olds’.

After plenty of feedback from members, the BWF response – which you can download in full here – raised a number of points to the Committee including:

– The need for careers advice to be an intrinsic part of teacher training and the necessity to consider vocational routes into teaching to help bolster understanding and respect for the apprentice’s journey.

– The importance of all qualification standards to have simple, fast, yet rigorous mechanisms for employers to enact changes in the syllabus so that the industry can react quickly to new skill needs.

– The risk of undermining decades of good work in our sector by leaving individual employers currently in-scope to CITB to source, fund, manage and deliver their own training and apprenticeships.

– The potential for a “Clearing System” for apprentice applications similar to that for Universities which would prevent wastage and also help to target interested parties with information and informed choice.  

The Inquiry was also an opportunity to articulate BWF’s vision is to have a fully trained, qualified and professional workforce for the woodworking industry. Below you can see a visual representation.

Like any sales funnel, our new entrant into the joinery and woodworking sector must take a journey based on the activity we do to get them into the funnel, as well as what we do to keep them from exiting it, and indeed get them to re-enter if we lose them. Thinking of training activity in this way could help us be successful in attracting new blood, getting them trained keeping them learning, and indeed, keeping them in industry. Our training funnel runs from school leavers through to retirees.

The apprenticeship levy will apply to all UK employers in both the private and public sectors who pay annual pay bills of more than £3 million. On 18th March, government revealed further details of how the Levy will work. The guidance confirmed the following points:
– The levy will be calculated and paid monthly through the PAYE process
– Levy funds can only be spent on apprenticeships
– At first only those that pay the levy will be able to access funding from the apprenticeship levy fund
– In England the amount each employer will receive will be the levy they have paid plus a 10% top up from the Government
– Employers will have up to 18 months to spend each levy payment made
– Training providers and assessment organisations will have to be approved and registered to receive payments from the apprenticeship levy fund.

Here you can see who the levy affects, how much you will pay and what happens once the money has been paid. BWF will keep you updated on further developments.