In the latest Business Surrey blog, Renée Canter, Business Surrey’s Gateway & Monitoring Officer, explains why utilising the apprenticeship levy could help you recruit and grow your business.

What’s stopping your business from taking on an apprentice?

Cost is quite a common concern, especially for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) with fewer than 50 employees.

Time is another, with many smaller businesses worried about the paperwork involved.

But what if someone else fills in the forms and foots the training bill for you?

Well, that’s exactly what the apprenticeship levy transfer scheme from Surrey County Council offers – with funding to train dozens of apprentices currently available.

This makes it an ideal way for Surrey SMEs to recruit while providing opportunities to local residents.

All about apprenticeships

Apprenticeships are all about opportunity.

They allow people of all ages to earn while they learn and gain the skills they need to build a rewarding career.

Latest figures from the House of Commons Library show that more than 750,000 people took part in apprenticeships in 2022/23 financial year.

Of these, more than 5,200 were in Surrey with courses offered in a wide range of industries, from health to business to engineering and beyond.

But for many SMEs, taking on an apprentice is not something they consider due to concerns about the cost of training and levels of red tape and paperwork.

The introduction of the Apprenticeship Levy in 2017 helps significantly reduce costs and makes apprenticeships even more accessible for SMEs.  

It means employers with a pay bill of over £3 million per year pay 0.5% of their salary bill towards supporting apprenticeships.

Large organisations can support SME’s who may not pay into the levy by transferring funds to them to use to fund apprenticeships in their own business.

This Apprenticeship Levy helped directly support almost 50% of all apprenticeships in 2017/18. But many businesses are still not fully leveraging this opportunity.

Five ways apprentices can support your Surrey business

1. Address Skills Gaps

One of the most pressing challenges businesses face today is the skills gap. As industries evolve, the demand for new skills grows, and traditional education systems often struggle to keep pace.

Apprenticeships offer a practical solution by providing tailored training that meets the specific needs of your business. 

By utilising the apprenticeship levy, companies can develop a pipeline of skilled workers who are trained to their exact specifications.

2. Enhancing Employee Retention

Investing in apprenticeships can significantly improve employee retention rates.

Apprenticeships provide employees with clear career progression paths and the opportunity to gain recognized qualifications while earning a salary. 

This not only boosts morale but also reduces turnover, saving businesses the costs associated with recruiting and training new staff.

3. Boosting Productivity

Apprenticeships are not just about training; they are about enhancing productivity.

Apprentices bring fresh perspectives and new ideas to the workplace. They are often more motivated and eager to learn, which can lead to increased innovation and efficiency. 

According to the UK government, businesses with established apprenticeship programs report a significant improvement in productivity.

4. Cost-Effective Training Solutions

For many businesses, especially small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), the cost of training can be a significant barrier.

The apprenticeship levy provides a cost-effective solution. Surrey County Council’s levy transfer facility can cover the full cost of the apprenticeship, which can vary from £5,000 to £40,000.

All local businesses need to do initially is fill in the application form and commit to paying the apprentice an ongoing salary. There also needs to be an ongoing commitment to support the apprentice during employment.

This makes apprenticeships an affordable option for businesses of all sizes, enabling them to invest in their workforce without breaking the bank.

5. Supporting Diversity and Inclusion

Apprenticeships can play a crucial role in promoting diversity and inclusion within the workplace. They’re useful in attracting a wider range of candidates, including those from underrepresented groups.

This can drive innovation and creativity, while helping businesses build a workforce that reflects the diversity of their customer base and society at large.

How to apply to the Apprenticeship Levy Transfer scheme

Surrey County Council is committed to ensuring No One is Left Behind. This is why it’s made it as easy as possible for businesses to access its Apprenticeship Levy Transfer scheme.

It is open to all businesses in Surrey and can only be used for future apprenticeships, either for new roles or existing employees. It’s open all year round but funding is allocated on a first come, first served basis.

Business interested in exploring the opportunity can get in touch with the Business Surrey team via our business support form.

You could also apply direct using the application form. A member of the Council’s careers team will then review your application and be in touch to support in setting-up the levy transfer.

Full terms and conditions are available on the Surrey County Council website.

Georgina Angele, Strategic Hub Lead for Surrey Careers Hub, has almost two decades of experience working to connect schools and colleges with employers. In our latest business blog, she explains how Surrey businesses can play their part in equipping young people with future skills – and why it will benefit them and the wider economy down the line.

In today’s rapidly evolving job market, the importance of equipping young people with relevant employment skills whilst still in school or college cannot be overstated.  

As we navigate the 21st century, the landscape of work is being reshaped by continual changes in technology, national policy and globalisation. 

To support future economic growth and help young people achieve their potential, it is imperative we prepare them with the skills they will need to thrive. 

As Strategic Hub Lead for the Surrey Careers Hub, it’s my role to directly work with employers and education providers to unlock opportunities – bringing them closer together, so that we can ensure young people have a range of meaningful careers experiences while they are still in school and college.  Read on to find out more, or if you’re ready to involved sign up now to become a strategic Enterprise Advisor working with a local school.

Bridging the Skills Gap 

One of the most pressing challenges facing economies across the UK is the skills gap, even in an economy as diverse and large as Surrey. 

Employers across a range of sectors often report difficulties in finding candidates coming out of education with the skills required for the positions available.   

This gap not only hampers business growth but also limits economic development. 

This is why the creation of the Surrey Careers Hub just over a year ago has been so important to our regional economy. 

We work with more than 97% of secondary schools, colleges, special schools and alternative provisions, connecting them to employers in all sectors. 

The aim is to ensure young people have an awareness of the opportunities available to them while making sure education providers know which skills their young people need to succeed once they finish their education. 

The Surrey Careers Hub ensures there is a single approach for the whole county. And we can tailor this work to the key sectors which are crucial to our future economy, such as Artificial Intelligence, gaming, creative industries and infrastructure. 

By integrating careers provision into the education system, we can bridge the skills gap and create an engaged workforce that is ready to meet the demands of the modern economy. 

Enhancing Employability 

Equipping students with relevant skills enhances their employability, giving them a competitive edge in the job market.  

Skills such as critical thinking, problem-solving, oracy (the ability to express yourself fluently and coherently), adaptability, resilience, and digital literacy are increasingly valued by employers.  

By fostering these skills early on, we can ensure that young people are not only prepared for their first job, but also have the adaptability to navigate multiple career changes throughout their lives. 

Seeing how these skills can be applied to the ‘real word’ is also crucial. 

One way we do this is by supporting schools and colleges to provide regular engagement points for their students with employers. 

These can range from mock interviews and workplace experiences to big events, such as the recent Surrey Festival of Skills.  

We also look to level the field for those from disadvantaged backgrounds, as part of our wider No One Left Behind mission. So, we target our funding and interventions to support those young people who face multiple barriers to engaging in education, have additional needs and disabilities and experience socio-economic disadvantage.  

By creating opportunities for all, we’re providing young people with the awareness and confidence to explore the range of opportunities that employers in Surrey can offer. 

Aligning Education with Industry Needs 

To effectively equip young people with relevant employment skills, it is essential to align the things taught in the classroom with industry needs.  

This requires collaboration between educational institutions, businesses, and policymakers at both a national and regional level. 

While we work strategically across Surrey, our work is guided and majority funded by The Careers & Enterprise Company, a national body funded by the Department for Education. 

It oversees the provision of quality careers education in schools and colleges across the UK. It ensures all activities are aligned to the Gatsby Benchmarks. And has resources so that young people receive the guidance and support they need to make informed career choices. 

One way we are doing this is by reinventing work experience, acknowledging that a shift to hybrid working makes intensive weekly or fortnightly programmes during the summer no longer feasible for many employers. 

Instead, we are encouraging a shift for students to gain regular experiences of the workplace throughout their time in secondary education. This will include short, targeted workplace visits; one-day project-based experiences; and longer structured placements.   

We are also working directly with employers to help them assess, monitor and improve their educational outreach, achieve social value commitments, create a diverse workforce, and recruit local talent into their business.  

Promoting Lifelong Learning 

Promoting opportunity does not stop as soon as people enter the workplace. 

The concept of lifelong learning is becoming increasingly important in today’s world of accelerated change.  

By instilling a love for learning and a commitment to continuous skills development, we can ensure that young people remain adaptable and resilient in the face of change.  

This mindset not only benefits their personal and professional growth, but also contributes to the overall economic health of the nation. 

One way we’re doing that as a team is by running a programme of Teacher Encounters.  

This takes subject teachers out of their classrooms and into the workplace. We piloted it last year with the gaming and cybersecurity sectors in Surrey (see our LinkedIn post here). 

They learned how their subjects connect to the world of work and which skills employers need in their future workforce.  

We are scaling Teacher Encounters this academic year to include a wider range of industries – including construction, highways, creative & cultural industries, engineering and the NHS. If you want to get involved, then please contact us. 

There are also many opportunities out there right now for employers to invest in their workforce. 

One such as example is the Multiply scheme, which is free for those who do not have a GCSE in maths. 

These fun, flexible sessions are available both in person and online. And by encouraging your colleagues to take part you could help improve your business performance in the long run. 

Find out more on the Multiply page of the Surrey County Council website. 

How You Can Help 

These are just some ways we are focused on equipping our young people with the skills to support future business growth. But we cannot do it alone.  

The role of employers across the region is crucial to planning how we do this, and also in the delivery. 

There are several ways you can support this work.  

We’re currently looking for people with business experience to volunteer as Enterprise Advisers. This is a strategic role, working with Careers Leaders in schools to help them develop impactful careers programmes.  

It’s a hugely rewarding role. You will have direct influence on the direction of the careers programme in the school you’re matched to. And you’ll help improve the prospects of the young people who attend that school.

If you want to know more, then please get in touch via our contact form. 

To see a full list of opportunities with the Surrey Careers Hub, visit the Surrey Careers Hub web page.