Continuous professional development for housekeeping and cleaning professionals

The UKHA chair of the Midlands, Wales and South West, Delia Cannings, gives us an insight regarding the current situation on the Government Apprenticeship Levy.

Development of the workforce is a fundamental aspect of any business. Lifelong learning and widening participation are key features in supporting future success.

The funding avenues and training income streams unfortunately are no longer as robust as they have been in recent years and this has resulted in the request for a financial contribution from employers for most of the training provision which is available today.

However, what is absolutely clear is the fact that many organisations are now obliged to pay into the apprenticeship levy, and if you don’t use it you lose it simple as that. If your business or organisation has an annual wage bill of less than £3m then you are not required to pay the Apprenticeship Levy.

Please take note that if you do not qualify to pay into the levy as your business sits within the exempt criteria, the good news for you is that you still qualify to take out of it. If you have less than 50 employees, then the government meets the full cost of apprenticeship training for those aged 18 and under. For employees aged over 19 they will pay for 90 per cent of apprenticeships training, with the employer co-investing 10 per cent.

The time is perfect now to get something back and see a return on your investment. Or avail of funding pots not being accessed by those paying into the levy. In the spirit of true employer engagement, robust partnerships have been developed across the sector and the rewards for such investment are becoming apparent with successful outcomes across the country.

To find out more about the Government Levy and discover what apprenticeships you can access visit www.gov.uk or contact customerservice@3ees.uk.com.

You’ll find the full article in the September / October edition of Housekeeping Today UK. Subscribe for your edition or browse online here.

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