The government's new 'plan for jobs' is set to provide incentives to employers that offer apprenticeships and work experience to young people, or invest in upskilling their existing workforce.
Businesses will be able to apply for up to £3,000 for each new apprentice they take on, up to 30th September. The business is free to decide how to spend their grant to best support the needs of their business and the apprentice.
This money is in addition to the payments already made to support specific groups of apprentices such 16 to 18-year-olds, those with disabilities, or young people leaving care. You must have an apprenticeship service account if you want to apply for an incentive payment.
Employers must pay apprentices at least the National minimum Wage of £4.15 per hour. They may also have to contribute 5% to the apprentice’s training and assessment costs, though this will depend upon the size of the business and the age of the apprentice.
Another way to support young people into employment is by offering T-Level placements. T-Levels are new technical levels that young people can take instead of traditional A-Levels.
Each T-Level is equivalent to three A-Levels and helps young people develop the knowedge, attitude and practical skills to thrive in the workplace. Each T-level course includes a 45 day work placement, which employers can offer as a means of securing a telent pipeline into their business.
Employers can also claim £1,000 for each T-Level student they take on, up to July 2022. There is no cost to the employer in terms of wages, as T-Level students count as being in full-time education.
More schemes and services are available to employers, with government-funded incentives to get involved. If you’d like to learn more, visit the Gov.uk website.
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