apprenticeship levy

Apprenticeships could make medicine careers more accessible and cheaper – but the stakes are high if it goes wrong

Expanding degree apprenticeships is a hot political priority, with an ambition for them to widen access to a variety of top professions. With huge investment going in to create apprentice doctors, Jessica Hill finds out if the model will really work

Employer groups call on Sunak to reform levy funds in his spring statement

Many levy-paying businesses have found it challenging to use for their training needs

DfE launches digital service for advertising levy transfers

DfE launch their scheme enabling levy payers to advertise their available funds for transfer.

Levy-lockout update: Employers lose access to £37 million from first 2 months

Employers lost access to £26 million of their apprenticeship levy funds in June, the skills minister has revealed. The figure, revealed in an answer to a parliamentary question from Catherine McKinnell, the MP for Newcastle upon Tyne North, means that a “staggering” £37 million has been clawed back by government after the first two months […]

Treasury took back over £300m despite small employers being turned away

The government has for the first time admitted the vast majority of the £400 million underspend from the Department for Education’s apprenticeship budget was taken back by the Treasury. In an interview with FE Week editor Nick Linford, the skills minister Anne Milton was asked how much cash the Treasury clawed back in the financial […]

It’s FE Week wot won it: 5 month mystery of missing £300k levy ‘resolved’ by ESFA

The Education and Skills Funding Agency has finally returned £300,000 to a large high-profile employer within hours of FE Week asking for an explanation. The employer, that did not wish to be named, saw the money mysteriously disappear from their apprenticeship levy pot in November without warning or reason. After reporting the missing funds to […]

Universities and training providers clash on apprenticeship priorities

It is “entirely unacceptable” to expect public sector employers to subsidise low-level apprenticeships for chefs and hairdressers, a university membership organisation has said, calling on government to better support levels 6 and 7 instead. Adrian Anderson, chief executive of University Vocational Awards Council, the body that represents over 90 universities delivering apprenticeships, said the decline […]

Scrap funding rule that stops providers from transferring their unspent levy, says UEL

A university has called for the scrapping of an apprenticeship funding rule that stops them from using unspent levy funds to support local businesses. The University of East London delivers apprenticeships to large employers, but after missing out on a non-levy allocation they have to turn small employers away. One solution would be to share […]

ESFA seeking views on ‘long-term operation’ of apprenticeship levy

The Education and Skills Funding Agency is seeking employers’ and providers’ views on the long-term operation of the apprenticeship levy, almost two years after it was introduced. Employers can now email their “thoughts and feedback” to the agency, and it will launch a short survey in the “coming weeks”, according to today’s business update. The […]