The document discusses preparing a training organization for the new UK Apprenticeship Levy system taking effect in 2017. It recommends that organizations (1) review existing training programs and assess if any can be replaced by new Apprenticeship standards, (2) assess the potential costs and budget impacts of the Levy, and (3) ensure the staff have the skills needed to work with the new Apprenticeship standards and negotiate costs with employers. The opportunity for training organizations is to get their teams ready to deliver Apprenticeship programs under the new system and leverage the subsidies available to help more employers adopt Apprenticeships.

2. • New Funding
• New Year
• New ways of working
• New Plans
• New Strategy
New Year

3. Many Training Organisations have not asked the question am I ready to make
Money?
• Why? They are busy getting on the Register.
• They are reading lots of Guidance, but do they have the right team in place?
• Do the Team know what is going on, do they have the skills? To negotiate
the price with an employer on the new standards?
• Do the delivery team understand fully the changes.

4. Lets look at some things
• With the government's drive for growth in Apprenticeships and
with the support that businesses will get from the forth coming
Apprenticeship Levy. Apprenticeships are becoming even more
central to skills and succession planning for all businesses

5. 1. Review your existing Learning & Development programmes
• Take a look at your current training offer.
• Do you need to update your website.
• Can any of your courses be enhanced or replaced by an existing (or new)
Apprenticeship programme, bearing in mind that the breadth of available
frameworks and standards is very wide (and growing week on week).
Apprenticeships are now available from Level 2 (GCSE), through to Level 7
(Masters Degree), so you can plan for new entrants and existing managers’
CPD, good to get a OTNA tool.

6. 2. Look at and assess the cost implications
• Look how to sell for business if in-scope for the Levy or not, the chances are
there will be a cost attached to Apprenticeship development. Using the
Governments’ Levy “ready-reckoner”, work out the potential financial impact
of your company or so you know how to do this with other companies. Map
this against your existing training budget. You may be pleasantly surprised!
You may Not!

7. 3. Look at your existing team
• Assess your current workforce. If you’re liable to gain funds £15,000.00, can
you afford new starters, or will you need to use the Levy for upskilling
existing staff? Skills development needs should have been identified at each
employees’ most recent appraisal. Ask the question, is the CPD required for
a person covered by an Apprenticeship framework or standard?
• Also, look at the team dynamic – do you have the right people in place to
guide and mentor an apprentice through their programme? Remember, the
impact on time and resource is amplified, the smaller the organisation –
hence the Gov’t incentives and support offered to SMEs. Do they have the
knowledge for New Standards. Do you have effective Employer Engagement
team and do you need to start re - training them.

8. 4. Integrate apprentice recruitment into your overall HR/recruitment strategy
• When dealing with Employers, review job descriptions, can these roles be
covered/replaced by Apprenticeships?
• New starters will need training anyway, so is an apprentice a viable
alternative?
• Get Traineeship as a form of extended recruitment process, as work
experience is the core element of such a programme.
• Apprentices can add real value and energy to an organisation. If you put in
as much effort into the recruitment of an apprentice as you do for a middle
manager or experienced technician, you will reap the rewards! You need to
ensure you find the right person – not just a "cheap option" contracted for
the duration of their programme: but one that will become a long-term
valuable member of a company make sure your team know how to do this.
• Remember the employer can stop the money if not pleased.
• Look at selling added value your values and culture?
• Show how you will do this to individual company’s needs?
• Think about what your added value is? How you will show an Added Value ?
• Remember Negotiation on price will play a part, who will do this in your
company with the employers are they an effective communicator?

9. 5. Chose the right end-point assessment organisation
to get the employer to work with
• Make sure you know who to use and indeed make them aware you would
like to know who to contact and how their system works get them to know
you.
• Up your profile to the training world.
• Look at your marketing.

10. Opportunity
• When the Levy comes into force it will affect all businesses, public and
private, regardless of size. However, with a 0.5% Levy and the Government’s
£15,000 allowance, only those with annual wage bills over £3 million will be
required to contribute into the “pot”.
• SMEs will not be required to contribute (as long as their apprentice is under
19 when they start), but can still make use of a publicly subsidised
apprenticeship programme. For apprentices over 19, SME Employers are
required to pay a 10% contribution towards the costs of training and
assessment – significantly down from the current expectation of 50%.
Clearly, this presents a great opportunity to invest in getting your team
ready to deliver.

11. GET INVOLVED:
• Why not come and Network and meet with other peers in your
sector industry (with a higher success rate of potential collaboration
of partnership than any other format including traditional
conferences, seminars etc.)
• Gain and share valuable knowledge and experiences
• Opportunity to showcase yourself, your organisation and projects
• Contact with the Founder:
Safaraz Ali on twitter: @SafarazAli
or Linkedin: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/safaraz