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The ESFA recently announced that the cap on apprentices has been increased from 3 to 10 for SME's!
This change means that non-levy paying companies (those with an annual payroll of less than £3m equating to around 100 employees or less) can now access apprenticeship funding for up to 10 apprentices each. It's a really incredible thing for small businesses as it means they have the potential to increase their employee number by more than 10% with government funding and high quality training.
It will be in effect for the remainder of the financial year (to April 2021) and is excellent news for small businesses looking to train and develop their workforce or recruit new apprentices.
Wendy Spaxman, Business Development Executive at Professional Academy welcomed the news, saying:
“This is a fantastic opportunity for SMEs to invest in training using government funded courses, whether that is upskilling an existing team member or bringing someone new into your business"
Professional Academy have not only continued to support and deliver current apprenticeship programmes during the COVID-19 pandemic but also helped launch six new cohorts amid lockdown. This shows the desire to continue growing and developing staff is still strong even during uncertain times.
There is a blended mix of face-to-face, workplace and online learning events that mean apprentices can always gain the most value out of their learning. Workshops have even been able to continue as virtual sessions due to the Coronavirus and these have proven to be successful and effective.
“Considering the impact of the impact of the Coronavirus on consumer confidence and the businesses of Britain there has never been a more important time to invest in Sales & Marketing training. The apprenticeship standards give SMEs a chance to do this in a low cost, high reward fashion.” - Martin Hutchins, Managing Director at Professional Academy
Sales and marketing staff are essential for the most important part of any business - generating income and developing customer relationships, so working to develop and build this team has never been more valuable in the current climate.
What's more, apprenticeship standards for sales and marketing have grown exponentially over the past few years, so this is an ideal time to make the most of government funding to develop your workforce in dynamic industries.
You can find full details of these changes and other information in the ESFA's policy document.
We offer a range of Standards in Marketing, Management, Digital Marketing and Sales.
If you would like to learn more about our available apprenticeship programmes and find out how we can help develop your staff, please contact our advice team via the Apprenticeship contact form or call 01223 365 505.