Dealers urged not to let Apprenticeship Levy funds go to waste
The introduction of the Apprenticeship Levy is encouraging more employers to focus on developing young people.
“It’s important that businesses are aware that there are funds to make use of – use them or lose them,” says Lara Mazzolari, HR Partner at Dealer Management System provider, Pinewood Technologies PLC. “There are thousands of pounds available for training the next generation of talent to help push your business forward.”
All businesses with an annual wage bill of over £3 million per annum are required to contribute 0.5% of their payroll towards this government levy, which subsidises the training and education of UK apprenticeships. In return, these employers are eligible to receive an allowance of £15,000 towards funding their own apprenticeship schemes.
The levy is not just restricted to larger companies or aimed at recruiting college leavers – businesses with a wage bill beneath the £3 million quota also benefit with a 90% subsidy offered towards the training costs of both technical and business based apprenticeships.
“We appreciate how difficult it is to find the right people,” says Mazzolari. “We have an ever-expanding team at Pinewood. This includes degree-level apprentices and Level 3 apprentices. The levy has let us develop the specialist industry knowledge and software skills we look for in candidates, adapting to our values and culture from a young age, so we can easily shape them into the ideal fit for each role. We have success stories from people who have worked their way through the business, who will continue to advance their career with us upon completion.”
Pinewood are committed to investing in future talent, fuelling the continued innovation and growth of the software business – a strategy that is paying dividends and which they urge other automotive businesses to consider.
Automotive retailers should be turning to this opportunity for a cost-effective way to recruit and train the next generation of vehicle technicians, sales teams or service advisors – there are apprenticeships available in all of these areas.