SMALL and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) across the West Midlands are being encouraged to take advantage of a £40m fund to cover the cost of taking on apprentices.
Businesses that sign up to the West Midlands Combined Authority’s (WMCA) Apprenticeship Levy Transfer scheme will get 100 per cent of the training and assessments costs covered so they can play their part in supporting local people onto the career ladder.
The call to action is for SME’s who either currently have apprentices or those considering taking one on to secure future talent or upskill their existing workforce.
The cost savings can be used in a variety of ways but a number of employers have used the levy transfer to increase the number of apprentices in their workforce, with others increasing the apprenticeship wage to attract candidates to good jobs.
Andy Street, Mayor of the West Midlands and WMCA chair, said: “A key part of my mayoral mission is to ensure local people right across our region have the skills they need to succeed.
“Apprenticeships are central to that mission – offering a clear route into work for school leavers or graduates and career advancement for those already in work.
“That’s why I’m encouraging SMEs here in the West Midlands to get involved and sign up to take advantage of the millions of unspent Apprenticeship Levy funds generously donated by some of the region’s larger businesses to support the growth of local talent.”
