If there\u2019s one topic (apart from Brexit) that is almost certain to come up at any business gathering these days it\u2019s the apprenticeship levy. There\u2019s one word on everyone\u2019s lips and that\u2019s \u2018flexibility\u2019. Levy funding can only be spent on apprenticeships which must last a minimum of 12 months. This means that agency workers and others on temporary contracts are not able to benefit. It also means that employers don\u2019t have as much choice when it comes to training options for their staff.<\/p>\n
However, there have been some welcome developments in Scotland in recent weeks with the establishment of the \u00a310 million Flexible Workforce Development Fund (FWDF). Here\u2019s what you need to know:<\/p>\n
The fund gives Levy-paying employers in Scotland the opportunity to apply for up to \u00a310,000 to help pay for training to up-skill and re-skill their existing workforce. The funds will be made available by Skills Funding Scotland via regional colleges.\u00a0 A \u2018training needs analysis\u2019 will need to be undertaken by the employer as part of the application.\u00a0 The fund can be used as a part-contribution towards training of a higher cost. The fund is in addition to apprenticeship support which all employers are eligible to access in Scotland. The fund will not support any training required by law. While employers can train any members of the workforce, they are encouraged to consider under-represented groups including older workers, veterans and those in low skilled jobs. Applications to the fund must be submitted by 15th December 2017.<\/p>\n
This is a good opportunity for our levy paying members in Scotland to access funding for a wider range of training. While we\u2019d like to see Skills Funding Scotland work with other bodies that deliver training \u2013 like the REC \u2013 it\u2019s encouraging that alternative approaches are being piloted. We\u2019ll be making this point and raising members\u2019 wider concerns when we\u2019re at the SNP Party Conference in October.<\/p>\n
We\u2019ll also be monitoring the development of the fund closely to see what lessons can be learned for England, Wales and Northern Ireland. We believe it\u2019s essential that all workers are able to benefit from levy funding and that employers and recruiters are afforded greater flexibility when choosing training options. We along with other business bodies will continue to make the case for this to the government.<\/p>\n
If you\u2019d like to help us campaign on this issue, please get in touch with us at policy@rec.uk.com.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
If there\u2019s one topic (apart from Brexit) that is almost certain to come up at any business gathering these days it\u2019s the apprenticeship levy. There\u2019s one word on everyone\u2019s lips and that\u2019s \u2018flexibility\u2019. Levy funding can only be spent on apprenticeships which must last a minimum of 12 months. This means that agency workers and …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":17,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-427","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n