By Sarah Morgan
With apprenticeship starts making up 22% of the total number of people starting higher education in 2015, the UK Government is accelerating its Apprenticeships reforms in England. Substantial changes in legislation have already been made as part of a wider plan to make apprenticeships more accessible for employers, students and the industry.
Not only are current employers enjoying the financial and practical benefits of hiring an IT apprentice, they’re also taking advantage of the rewards offered by the UK government by doing so. Here’s how employers are benefitting from hiring IT apprentices – and how you could too...
1. Access brand new Trailblazer Apprenticeship programmes
The Trailblazer Initiative has given employers in the IT industry the power to design brand new apprenticeship standards. These standards have been specifically designed by major players and SMEs in the IT sector - so we know that our IT apprentices get certified with the right skills for their employer.
The IT Trailblazer group is constantly developing new standards to bring to the industry, meaning employers and their apprentices know their training programme is right for them. To see a full list of Firebrand programmes, head to our programmes page.
2. Pay nothing on National Insurance
The Department for Business, Innovation & Skills has scrapped all Employer National Insurance contributions for apprentices under the age of 25. This means that as of April 2016, it’s now even better value for you to hire IT apprentices as a way of bringing new skills to your business.
3. Access the £2.5 billion apprenticeships budget
The UK government has put aside over £2.5 billion towards training apprentices until 2020, according to FE Week. From April 2017, employers who pay more than £3 million in wage bills (less than 2% of businesses) will pay a 0.5% payroll levy to fund apprenticeships in England. Unclaimed funds from contributing employers of the Apprenticeship Levy will be used to support apprenticeships at 5.3 million employers, providing the financial means to upskill and develop their staff with apprenticeships.
4. Get paid to hire IT apprentices
Trailblazer Apprenticeship employers receive up to £10,800 in cash incentives from the government. How much money you receive depends on a few factors, including the size of your business and the age of your apprentice.
5. Only pay a third of all training costs
Trailblazer IT apprenticeship programmes like Level 3 Infrastructure Technician and Level 4 Network Engineer are eligible for maximum funding from the government. This means that for every £1,000 you contribute to your apprentice's training, the government adds a further £2,000 – so you’ll pay a maximum of a third of the costs to train with Tech Industry Gold providers like Firebrand.
With apprenticeships high on the agenda for this government, now’s the time to reconsider how you or your business will be bringing in new tech talent in 2016.
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