West Berkshire Trainining Consortium welcomes apprenticeship incentive scheme extension to March

'We have young people ready and available to do apprenticeships'

IN July 2020 Chancellor Rishi Sunak announced a Government incentive scheme that was designed to encourage businesses to recruit new apprentices.

Organisations could qualify for an up to £3,000 cash bonus if they took on a new apprentice before the end of January 2021. In the recent spending review, the deadline was extended to the end of March 2021.

It is surprising that not many employers know about the incentives available to businesses if they take on an apprentice. There is a pot of money available to support and encourage apprentice recruitment as part of the jobs scheme.

Employers already receive £1,000 for each apprentice they take on aged 16 to 18, or under 25 with an education, health and care plan. They will now receive an additional £2,000 if the new starter is aged 16 to 24 and £1,500 if they are 25 or over.

West Berkshire Training Consortium managing director Matt Garvey said: “We are very pleased that the Chancellor has decided to extend the incentive schemes for employers.

“We are still living in very uncertain times and any support like this that businesses can get is invaluable.

“We have young people ready and available to do apprenticeships and we hope that this extension will encourage more businesses to take on a new apprentice.”

The incentive scheme is designed to help employers kickstart their recruitment despite the pandemic, and to help recover from the economic impact of Covid-19.

The scheme will also help create new jobs for young people who have been affected by the impact of the last year.

WBTC business development coordinator Rachel Eaves said: “This scheme is vital to help young people find their feet after the difficult last year we’ve had.

“By extending the period of the incentive scheme, we’re hopeful that more businesses will come forward to take on an apprentice and experience the hugely positive impact that apprenticeships can have on an organisation.”

To find out more about the incentive scheme and recruiting an apprentice, please visit wbtc-uk.com or call Rachel Eaves on (01635) 35975.