Employers are being reminded that 31st January is the last start date for apprentices in order to claim the £3,000 incentive provided by the government for bringing on new apprentices in your business.
From the 11th of January, employers can apply for the payment of £3,000 for any new apprentices who started from 1st October 2021 to 31st January 2022. This means that apprentices who start after the 31st will not be eligible for the grant.
This grant is different to the apprenticeship levy, which can only be used towards the costs of apprenticeship training and assessment. The new incentive payment has less restrictions on where it can be spent, allowing it to cover any of your organisation’s costs.
The £3,000 could go towards many things. For example, it could be equivalent to first aid training for 14 staff, or provide 200 general healthcare tunics. It could also go towards paying salary, covering travel costs, or providing more resources for your apprentices.
This is on top of the £1,000 businesses get for taking on an apprentice who is either aged between 16–18 years old, or is under 25 and has an education, health and care plan or has been in the care of their local authority.
To receive the payment, businesses must first submit an application for each eligible apprentice using your apprenticeship service account after 11 January 2022. You will also need to add the apprentices to your apprenticeship service account first.
Antony Bromirski, Operations Director at Busy Bees Education and Training, said:
“This is a great incentive for businesses to take on apprentices and we are encouraging all businesses to get involved. £3,000 would go a long way to helping businesses support their staff, so we are delighted with this scheme and hope it is used effectively before the end of the month.”
There are a range of funding options available to businesses depending on their circumstances, so if you would like to know more about the funding options available to them and how much you may be entitled to, you can visit Busy Bees Education and Training’s employer page here, where you will find a host of free information and advice.
This could be a great way of starting the new year, and help to develop a pipeline of talent throughout your business.