West of England Mayor, Dan Norris, has today (18 March) welcomed several apprenticeship reforms that will benefit residents and firms alike in his patch.

As part of the changes, the amount of unspent apprenticeship levy funds big firms can transfer to another company will increase from 25% to up to half - a boon for the West of England Share to Support scheme, says the region's directly elected Mayor Dan Norris.

The scheme sees apprentice-levy paying employers passing on their unused levy funds so that more apprenticeships can be created by small employers.

£4m has been pledged by firms ranging from Aviva to homeware giant B&Q to Share to Support which has already funded over 300 apprenticeships – but many more could be on the way thanks to these "positive" changes, according to Mayor Norris.

He is urging more firms to sign up to Share to Support today, saying:

"I am hugely proud of my West of England Share to Support scheme which has raised millions - all being put to excellent use locally to equip residents right across our region with the skills they need to succeed.

"The changes announced today are very positive and can help us go further. Increasing the levy transfer amount to 50% will free up more funds to be used for training locally.

"That's why I am urging more West of England firms to sign up today. Let's work together to train up even more locals and share opportunities for all."

The changes will come into effect from 6 April.