Employers in the West Midlands are being urged to take advantage of a scheme set up to cover the cost of apprenticeship training for small and medium firms as it welcomes two new partners on board.
The Apprenticeship Levy Transfer Fund, which was set up by the West Midlands Combined Authority in 2018, covers the costs of training apprentices at SMEs through larger organisations donating their unspent levy.
The levy is charged by HM Revenue and Customs on all businesses with a payroll of more than £3 million and is held digitally by the Government.
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Employers across the country can utilise the funds by paying for apprenticeship training and assessment costs by bringing in new talent or plugging skills gaps with their staff.
The West Midlands Combined Authority has now joined forces with trade group the Federation of Small Business and the Ladder Apprenticeship Foundation campaign to call on more companies and employers to take advantage of this scheme.
Birmingham Apprenticeship Awards 2020
The Birmingham Apprenticeship Awards are back for a second year, in partnership with the Ladder for Greater Birmingham. The event will be held online only on Friday November 27, 2020 and will celebrate apprentices, employers and training and education providers.
The deadline to enter has now passed - - but sponsorship opportunities are still available.
If you have any questions about the awards in general, please email paige.jackson@reachplc.com and contact nikki.kandola@reachplc.com if you would like to learn more about becoming a commercial partner of the awards.
For more information and please follow the hashtag #BAA20 for updates on social media.
West Midlands Mayor Andy Street said: "It's fantastic news that the Federation of Small Businesses and the Ladder are backing our drive to create more apprenticeships.
"Large employers have now pledged more than £5 million to the Apprenticeship Levy Transfer Fund and we want to make sure that as many local residents and businesses as possible benefit from the scheme."
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The Ladder Apprenticeship Foundation was launched in 2018 and is a national initiative championing the creation of apprenticeships and social mobility through vocational education.
Locally, the was set up two years ago with the goal of creating hundreds of new apprenticeships in Birmingham and Solihull.
It is also a partner in our Birmingham Apprenticeship Awards which take place in November and will celebrate achievement among individuals and employers across the city region (see factbox above for details and to enter).
Ladder chairman Kevin Davis said: "I look forward to our continued collaboration with the West Midlands Combined Authority in promoting apprenticeship levy opportunities to small business."
Rich Bishop, West Midlands chairman of the Federation of Small Businesses, added: "Small businesses champion apprenticeships as a great way to tackle skills shortages that often affect them while also giving young people their first step into employment.
"They are also a great way of promoting social mobility and helping those furthest from the job market into work.
"The WMCA levy transfer scheme is therefore a major step forward in reducing the cost of apprenticeship training for small businesses in the West Midlands."
For more information about the Ladder for Greater Birmingham campaign and to get involved visit or call 03332 409 699