Fewer than four in 10 eligible businesses in a new survey, say they fully understand how the apprenticeship levy works.
In response, Walsall College are inviting employers from around the region to come along to their Apprenticeship Levy Workshop Breakfast session on 31st October.
The two-hour event, which begins at 8am, will take place at the Business and Sports Hub at Walsall College.
The complimentary workshop is aimed at employers who have registered for the Digital Apprenticeship service, but are unsure of how to access their levy funds.
Apprenticeship levy payers are employers that have a payroll bill of over £3m, and the workshop is suitable for Finance Directors, HR Directors, and others who have responsibility for training within their organisation.
The aim of the workshop is the help employers navigate the Digital Apprenticeship Service website, and allow them to utilise their levy funds, allowing them to improve the skills of existing staff, and hire the best talent.
*Fewer than four in 10 businesses say they fully understand the apprenticeship levy, according to research by Evolve Learning Group and West London College.
The survey showed that the majority of eligible businesses are not taking full advantage of the apprenticeship levy, with only 32% using funds to train new and existing staff.
Nine in 10 employers said they found it difficult to find staff with the right skills and 21% described it as “extremely problematic”.
Helen Bosworth, Sales Manager at Walsall College, said:
“As an education and apprenticeship provider, we invest in upskilling students so they have the skills and qualities employers are looking for.
The apprenticeship levy is an opportunity for employers to access the talent pool they need to improve their business, as well as to improve the performance of their current staff.
We are organising this workshop to help businesses understand how to use the levy, as well as to help them take action within the limited time period they have to invest their levy funds”.