Shaping a digital future – part three

Apprenticeships in the news

  • The government is introducing new powers to prosecute training providers misusing the term ‘apprenticeship’ – in the future, anyone offering fake or low-quality apprenticeship training could face the possibility of a fine and prosecution in a Magistrates’ Court
  • The government has also announced that it wants the term ‘apprenticeships’ to be protected in law to prevent candidates being lured into sub-par courses as part of the recently launched Enterprise Bill
  • New targets have been introduced to get the number of apprentices up to three million by 2020
  • From 1 October 2015, the apprentice rate of the National Minimum Wage (NMW) increased by 57 pence to £3.30 and the NMW rate for adult workers will rise by 20 pence buy amoxicillin London from £6.50 to £6.70 per hour
  • New legislation will require schools to collaborate with colleges, university technical colleges and other training providers to ensure that young people are aware of all the routes to higher skills and the workplace, including Higher and Degree Apprenticeships
  • The apprenticeship levy will come into effect in April 2017, at a rate of 0.5 per cent of an employer’s pay bill. A £15,000 allowance for employers will mean that the levy will only be paid on employers’ pay bills over £3 million. Less than two per cent of UK employers will pay the levy

National Apprenticeship Week was held 14-18 March. 

In our next instalment, we hear some top tips on choosing a training provider…

SME Publications/ SME XPO 2024