Experts praise improvements but renew call for the apprenticeship levy to be broadened into a wider skills levy
The government has promised a number of changes to make apprenticeships easier for businesses, however experts have called for broader reform.
The Education and Skills Funding Agency outlined a new package of changes, to be introduced in August, that the skills minister Alex Burghart said would focus on making the apprenticeships system “as simple and user-friendly as possible”.
Among the changes include plans to streamline apprenticeship courses for individuals, the introduction of standardised requirements for off-the-job training and the creation of a “more efficient payment service”.
Apprenticeships: what do employers need to know?
“We have transformed apprenticeships so they offer a high-quality route into professions,” said Burghart. “We now want to focus on making the system as simple and user-friendly as possible, reducing bureaucratic burdens on employers and providers and giving apprentices the best possible experience.”
Paul Warner, director of strategy and business development at the Association of Employment and Learning Providers (AELP), welcomed many of the changes, including the plans for off-the-job training.
“Along with being fairer, the proposed [off-the-job] baseline approach is simpler to understand,” he said.
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