FEATURE TOPIC
syndrome and can deal with more of the diverse range of challenges the job throws at them. What support for taking on apprentices is available for those small and medium-sized employers (SMEs)? TM: For SMEs, the government funds 95% of the training, meaning the only financial contribution from the employer is 5%. Non- financial support comes from collaboration with the training provider they’ve chosen to partner with to support the apprentice. The training provider would provide a mentor or coach to support both the apprentice and line manager to ensure the apprentice becomes a valuable member of the team at the end of the apprenticeship. GM: There’s lots of support available. However, I don’t believe it’s highlighted widely enough. If an employer doesn’t pay the apprenticeship levy, they pay just 5% towards the cost of training and assessing an apprentice and the government will pay the rest up to the funding band maximum (each apprenticeship Standard has a funding band allocated). The 5% is paid directly by the employer to the training provider and a payment schedule is agreed. In addition, if an employer employs fewer than 50 employees, the government will pay 100% of the apprenticeship training costs up to the funding band maximum for any apprentices that are aged: l 16 to 18 l 19 to 24 with an education, health and care plan provided by their local authority or who have been in the care of their local authority. If any training exceeds the allocated banding, the employer will be liable to pay. CP: We offer a free recruitment service for all employers regardless of size. We advertise vacancies for employers free of charge and then screen potential candidates to ensure the applicants fit the employer’s criteria. We also offer a pre-interview service to apprentices shortlisted for interview to help them prepare for the interview and the world of work. NP: Several apprentices I teach are from SMEs. The apprenticeship levy is a redistributive form of taxation, meaning even those employers that aren’t required to pay the levy can ultimately benefit from
l enthusiasm l the curiosity and willingness to learn l perseverance l a desire to apply academic learning into the very real context of their day-to-day job. These apprentices reinvest value into their employing organisation, challenge long-held assumptions and can re-energise the whole team. They occasionally even create a vortex around them, which drags colleagues who would have never previously considered studying a vocational qualification back into academic learning. Are you able to share some success stories regarding apprenticeships? CP: We’ve been offering payroll apprenticeships for just over 12 months; however, we’ve been offering accountancy apprenticeships for over four years. Apprenticeships at Peak have provided opportunities for apprentices from all backgrounds, from across the country. We had fantastic success during Covid-19, with over 95% of students attending classes each week, and minimal drop off, as we moved to online delivery to ensure students could continue studying throughout the lockdown periods. Students were very grateful of this, as they had plenty of time to study, especially if furloughed. We’ve had several apprentices use the apprenticeship to springboard their careers – for example, progressing onto Level 7 apprenticeships. NP: Absolutely! I’m so proud of all the learners studying the apprenticeship with Leicestershire County Council, and those who’ve previously completed the qualification with us. Witnessing and being part of their journey has been amazing – from that initial reluctance to re-enter the academic world (especially if it’s been years since they left school), through to developing their confidence and abilities, all the way to successful completion of the end point assessment. I know many have discovered a sense of purpose, which has benefited both them and their employer in terms of the value they’re able to add back into the organisation. A small, everyday example I’d give is that at the start of the qualification, learners will often state that when answering queries by phone or email, they lack confidence in what they’re talking about. But, after completing the apprenticeship, they shed their impostor
What do you think apprentices bring to an organisation? Tracey Mosley: Apprentices provide an invaluable return on investment if they’re trained correctly by both the training provider and the employer. When apprentices enrol on our programmes, it’s by choice, meaning they’re ready and willing to make the commitment to their future and have decided on their career path of choice. Gemma Mullis: Apprentices can bring new talent into an organisation. An apprenticeship can be used as a steppingstone into a new career, which will enable the apprentice to gain not just a qualification in their chosen career, but also the required hands-on experience. Caroline Pauling: Apprenticeship training helps new and existing employees within a company to improve their skills. The company will therefore benefit in the long term as it will be investing in its staff, which will create employee satisfaction and motivation. A company can align their apprenticeship offerings to the company’s future needs for the growth and development of staff. Nick Phillips: At Leicestershire County Council, we decided early on to engage with the payroll apprenticeship as fully as possible. We did this in three ways, by: l acting as a member of the trailblazer group which designed the Standard l employing payroll apprentices within our own organisation l becoming a training provider ourselves, delivering the qualification not only to our own apprentices, but to learners from organisations nationwide. This has given us a rounded overview of the benefits apprentices can bring. The best apprentices I’ve worked with share common attributes, such as: This issue, Jerome spoke to: Tracey Mosley, chief executive officer, EMA Training Limited Gemma Mullis MCIPPdip, end point assessment specialist, IPP Education Limited Caroline Pauling, partner, Peak Accountancy Training Nick Phillips ChMCIPPdip, lead tutor for payroll apprenticeships (Levels 3 and 5), Leicestershire County Council.
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| Professional in Payroll, Pensions and Reward |
Issue 87 | February 2023
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