Posted 16 April 2019

Leeds Trinity University has been delivering Degree Apprenticeships since 2017. Our Apprenticeships are designed with the employer and learner at the core and our unique work-based learning framework provides a streamlined and flexible way to bring new skills into your business. All our Apprenticeships focus on increasing productivity within your business, and supporting the individual to realise their potential.

Changes to Apprenticeship funding

Two years ago the Apprenticeship Reforms took effect, introducing Apprenticeship Standards to replace frameworks; funding bands were introduced, and the Apprenticeship Levy was created to change the way Apprenticeships were funded. All these reforms had the intention of simplifying and streamlining Apprenticeships for the businesses that use them.

There have been some valuable lessons so far, and the government are making some more tweaks to the Levy. Leeds Trinity is ideally placed to help you to maximise your Apprenticeship Levy, through the Degree Apprenticeships we deliver, by providing expert advice on how to implement your Apprenticeship and L&D Strategies, through to helping you recruit and create talent pipelines.

Levy Fund Deadline

Apprenticeship Levy contributions have to be spent within 24 months. If you have unused funds in your Apprenticeship Service account dating this far back you may start to see some of this disappear. The best way to avoid this is to start an Apprenticeship programme. When you commence an Apprenticeship, your Levy fund is used on a First in, First out method. As you do this, your Levy funds will be spent monthly, meaning that you are safeguarding your available Levy for future Apprenticeship programmes. Your new contributions will be available for the next two years.

Levy Transfers

In April 2019 the Government increased the amount of Apprenticeship Levy that could be transferred from one employer to another – to 25% of their total contributions. If you know that you will not spend your Levy, you can use it to support small businesses to start an Apprenticeship. This makes Degree Apprenticeships provided by Leeds Trinity accessible for SMEs, and is a valuable tool for achieving Corporate Social Responsibility targets. Transferring your Levy also means that you could strengthen your supply chain by investing in the skills that will help their businesses to grow, as well as forming long term relationships.

New for 2019

Leeds Trinity is currently supporting over 100 apprentices, and is committed to doubling this number by helping businesses implement and achieve their Apprenticeship and L&D Strategies. We are recruiting for our existing programmes which will be commencing in September 2019 and we are developing new Apprenticeships to complement this.

Our Apprenticeships include:

• Academic Professional
• Business to Business Sales Professional
• Chartered Management
• Children and Young People Practitioner and Manager
• Digital and Technology Solutions Professional
• Digital Marketer
• Senior Leadership Masters Degree Apprenticeship
• Supply Chain Leadership
• Teaching Apprenticeship

Leeds Trinity’s Apprenticeship Team are able to support you with expert advice on Apprenticeships and skills, including Levy Transfers, Strategy, Recruitment and much more.

For more information about how we can help you contact us on 0113 283 7129 or email apprenticeships@leedstrinity.ac.uk

 

Ian Rowe, Leeds Trinity University