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2024/25 Apprenticeship Guidance
As the NHS and wider public sector gear up for a new academic year, the focus on building a resilient and skilled workforce becomes vital.
Apprenticeships offer a valuable pathway and the opportunity to address skill shortages, optimise funding, and ensure a steady influx of well-trained professionals in the workplace.
To help, we’ve pulled together some handy guidance on preparing for the 2024/25 academic year.
Reviewing skill gaps and shortages
A great place to start is identifying skill gaps and shortages, and reviewing available apprenticeship standards that can be used to upskill current workforces or bring in new apprentices.
All apprenticeship standards can be viewed on the Institute for Apprenticeships website.
One example of a resource shortage that can be addressed via apprenticeships is nursing staff.
Reviewing funding opportunities
The apprenticeship levy was introduced in 2017 and is paid by all employers who have an annual pay bill of £3m or over. Levy-paying employers can set up an account online to access funds which are paid monthly through the PAYE process. It’s worth noting that any funds not utilised within 24 months expire, meaning if it isn’t used it’s lost.
We recommend you review what funds you have available and consider spending this on apprenticeship training before it’s too late. Businesses can also get a £1000 bonus for enrolling young apprentices (aged 16) and those that contribute to the fund will get a very generous allowance.
Engagement and research of training providers
Engagement with training providers is key to understanding the program design and delivery, accreditations, OFSTED ratings where relevant, costs, reputation and locations.
Training providers are listed on the apprenticeship provider and assessment register (APAR) and you can search for an apprenticeship provider on the government website.
Assess compliant routes to market for procurement
Framework agreements offer a compliant route to market for the procurement of apprenticeship providers, among a whole host of other benefits, including reduced cost and risk.
We recommend looking at available framework agreements in the marketplace; there’s a wide variety of providers to choose from, the key is finding a compliant route to market that meets your needs.
One option is our Apprenticeship Training Services Framework Agreement, which offers an array of services, including:
- Apprenticeship Training
- End-Point Assessment
- Traineeships
You can choose whether to direct award or run a further competition, and there’s a wide range of suppliers and geographical coverage to suit your needs. Our category experts are on hand to support you too, ensuring that you use your apprenticeship levy in the most effective way. If you have any questions, or would like to find out more about how our team and framework agreement could support you, don’t hesitate to get in touch:
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