Page 26 - PWM2023_JULY-AUGUST

BETTER BUSINESS

You’re

hired!

Lord Sugar and Donald Trump may have popularised
the term ‘apprentice’ and ‘you’re fired’, but there’s
much more to the concept. Implemented well, with
of course, willing candidates, apprenticeships are a
great entrée into the worlds of learning and work,
by Adam Bernstein

A backed for quite some time, back in 2017
nd examples show
Even though courses have existed
that print has made
some use of govern-
the government changed the way
ment
that apprenticeship funding works
schemes. Back in July,
Print Scotland
Levy, a new co-investment rate to
described the 2020 Scottish Print by introducing the Apprenticeship
support employers who do not pay
Apprentice of the Year winners as the Levy, and a National
the industry’s leaders of tomorrow; Apprenticeship Service. Mark
in August, Renz (UK) took on an Stevens, a senior associate at law
apprentice to complete a two-year firm VWV, says of the Levy that it
BPIF Level 3 business administra- “effectively created a pot of funding
tion course; and in the same month, for employers to able to create
the BPIF welcomed new govern- apprenticeship roles within their
ment support incentives announced organisations”.
in July aimed at keeping apprentice- But while the Levy is a cost – a tax
ships going during the Covid-19 cri- if you will – on employers, Stevens
sis. estimates that less than 2% of UK
employers actually pay it as the Levy matters further. But despite their muddying the waters somewhat, Karly
Defining the government’s is only charged at a rate of 0.5% on Lattimore, managing director of BPIF Training, considers them as “offer-
scheme annual pay bills in excess of £3m. In ing fantastic value for money” as they’re worth up to £3,000 to an
Before going further, we need to ‘exchange’ for the Levy however, employer when taking on an apprentice. The support is available both for
define the term ‘apprenticeship’. As each employer receives an allow- employers who pay the Levy and those that do not.
far as the government is concerned, ance of £15,000 to offset against Under the scheme, which was announced in July, from the start of
to qualify as officially sanctioned a their payment. This minor detail is August until the end of January 2021, unless it is extended, the govern-
scheme must be open to anyone held in an annual state of flux since, ment will pay employers to hire new apprentices the sum of £2,000 per
aged 16 and above and it should usu- as Stevens explains, “new guidance individual for those under the age of 25 and £1,500 for those aged 25 and
ally run for a fixed term of between is published each year for Levy- over. This is in addition to the existing £1,000 payment that was already
one to four years, or until a level of paying employers and so working in place for new 16-18-year-old apprentices and those aged under 25. It’s
qualification is reached. out which terms and conditions of note that the incentive can cover any of the costs associated with sup-
Apprentices must spend a minimum apply will depend on what year the porting a new apprentice in their workplace including facilities, uni-
of 20% of their time training and apprentice started their employ- forms, travel and wages.
must be paid at least the national ment”. In practice, Lattimore says that Levy employer costs and the new
minimum wage. The new incentives complicate incentive payments mean that smaller employers contribute just 5% of

24 PrintWeek MENA July-August 2023 www.printweekmena.com