Government funding incentive for employers hiring apprentices

In August the UK government launched a new funding incentive which aims to encourage and support employers to employ new apprentices and is available until Sunday 31 January 2021.

Employers may be awarded £2,000 for hiring new apprentices aged 16-24 years, or £1,500 for those aged 25 and older. The funding can be obtained in addition to the existing £1,000 grant that can be obtained by employers who hire an apprentice aged 16 to 18 years, or those under 25 years who have an Educational Health Care Plan (EHCP) or are in local authority care.

Helen Weatherston, Head of Business Development at Barnsley College said: “We warmly welcome this incentive as it will support local businesses to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic and ultimately, grow.

“Apprentices offer multiple, significant benefits to an employer including the introduction of fresh skills and knowledge, committed, motivated and loyal employees and development opportunities for the existing workforce.

“We offer over 100 apprenticeships and professional training programmes plus a wealth of expertise that can support any organisation to upskill and future-proof their workforce.

“We are ready and waiting to assist employers with navigating the funding and registration process and it’s really encouraging to see so much interest from employers. Any employers who want support can contact our dedicated Business Development team who will help them to get registered on the system whilst finding the perfect apprentice for their business.”

To be eligible, employers must be registered to the Apprenticeship Service system and have reserved funding before the apprentice is enrolled onto a course. In fact, all non-levy employers (with a wage bill below £3million) are required by the government to register onto this system by April 2021 in order to apply for any funding towards apprenticeships.

Barnsley College is hosting a series of free webinars on the theme of apprenticeships, to help employers get to grips with the associated benefits, funding available and courses on offer.