Survey reveals 31% of people in the public sector are unaware of the forthcoming apprenticeship levy

A survey carried out by, Skills for Health, Skills for Justice and the National Skills Academy for Health has revealed that 31% of those surveyed are not aware of the forthcoming Apprenticeship Levy.

Commissioned to coincide with National Apprenticeship Week, the survey aimed to find out how much organisations know about the Levy, the opportunities it will offer and how it will affect their business.

Over 500 individuals from the UK’s public sector answered the survey. Alongside those that were not aware of the Apprenticeship Levy, a further 55% did not think or were unsure if it would have an impact on their business.

83% of respondents said their experiences with apprenticeships had been positive. However, many respondents commented on the barriers they face when taking on new apprentices. The top three issues cited were:

[] the difficulty in finding suitable candidates

[] a lack of funding

[] a lack of time to develop apprenticeship roles

John Rogers, Chief Executive of Skills for Health and Justice, said: “Taking on and training apprentices is a fantastic way for organisations to shape the future of their business and its imperative they know how to make the most of new opportunities.”

“With less than a month to go until the Levy is introduced, some of the results are concerning. It is really important that organisations know how the incoming Apprenticeship Levy is going to affect them and how to make sure their organisation is adequately prepared. Conducting this survey has revealed just how many organisations in the health and justice sectors are not ready for the significant changes coming and will need support to be ready when the Levy comes in to force.”

Skills for Health, Skills for Justice and the National Skills Academy for Health have the knowledge and skills to help make the transition as smooth as possible when the Apprenticeship Levy is introduced next month. Offering a wide range of services including developing a sustainable apprenticeship strategy for your organisation, support with finding suitable apprenticeships, creating new roles and acting as a mentor, the three bodies are equipped to provide support at every step of the process.

An infographic featuring results from the survey can be found here.

For more information on Apprenticeships in the healthcare sector, please visit: skillsforhealth.org.uk/services/item/439-apprenticeships or nsahealth.org.uk/your-one-stop-shop-for-apprenticeships

For more information on Apprenticeships in the justice sector, please visit: sfjuk.com/apprenticeships/