Free webinars to offer apprenticeship advice to local employers

GMLPF launch new series of live webinars explaining apprenticeship reforms

Merseyside employers are being invited to a free webinar which will highlight the significant changes to the funding of apprenticeships.

Organised by the Greater Merseyside Learning Providers’ Federation (GMLPF), the online webinar will provide employers with the latest information on the proposed apprenticeship reforms and discuss how it will impact future apprenticeship recruitment.

As part of the government’s pledge to support three million apprenticeships by 2020, it has outlined radical changes to boost apprenticeships numbers and drive up quality in courses.

As part of this reform process, the government is changing the way apprenticeships are funded. Large employers with payrolls over £3 million will have to pay for apprenticeship training through a new ‘apprenticeship levy’ that they will have to contribute to.

Employers with payrolls of less than £3m will have to pay a cash contribution towards the cost of recruiting apprentices, regardless of the age of the apprentice.

Taking place on Tuesday 4 October at 10.30 am, the webinar is the first in a new series of monthly talks which will cover all aspects of the further education, skills and apprenticeship sectors. The webinar is free to join and is open to GMLPF members and non-members.

Gareth Jones, GMLPF’s apprenticeships strategy manager is leading the webinar which will provide employers with an update on the apprenticeship reform information released in August 2016.

With a career spanning more than 15 years in the skills sector, Gareth has a wealth of apprenticeship expertise which he will use to inform employers about the changing landscape of apprenticeship training and recruitment.

The live session will conclude with a question and answer session, giving businesses the opportunity to voice any queries or concerns.

Gareth Jones, apprenticeships strategy manager at GMLPF, says: “With new challenges and changes to the further education sector and apprenticeships, our main focus is on supporting our members and other local businesses through these reforms and giving them as much information and resources as possible.

“The new webinar series will outline some of the crucial changes to post-16 education and training and highlight the reforms which are likely to affect the employment of apprentices across the region. We believe collaboration and guidance is essential to ensure the longevity and quality of apprenticeships is maintained, so we urge anyone with an interest in apprenticeships to join us on October 4^th.”