The WMCA have announced that to support SME’s further, they are now allowing all Apprenticeship Standards and Levels to be available through the Levy Transfer. This means that if you are a smaller business based in the West Midlands, you can hire and train an apprentice, or up-skill existing staff, at NO COST to your business.

The WMCA (West Midlands Combined Authority) consists of 18 local authorities and three Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs) that are working together to improve the health, skills and opportunities for people within the West Midlands. The WMCA understand the benefits of the Apprenticeship Levy, and want to ensure the scheme is maximised within the West Midlands.

Because the Levy is not being spent in their region, the WMCA have created a new initiative that allows Levy paying employers to give back an amount of their Levy Spend so that the Authority can delegate these funds to SME employers within the West Midlands. This is called the Apprenticeship Levy Transfer. They have predicted that this scheme will create a £40m apprenticeship pot within the West Midlands.

This is beneficial for both the Levy paying employer and the SME employer.

Levy Transfer Benefits for Levy Employers:

WMCA’s Levy Transfer ensures that Levy paying employers do not need to spend all of their Levy funds if they don’t want to.

Large employers may not want to spend their Apprenticeship Levy funds for the following reasons:

• They may not want to commit to the 20% Off-The-Job side of apprenticeship training, which requires apprentices to spend a fifth of their week on activities related to their course, that are different to their normal work duties.
• They may already provide training for staff, not through Apprenticeship Programmes.
• They may not have the time or resources to manage the funding.
• Or they could just be happy with how things already are within their organisation.

Not only does the WMCA’s Levy Transfer reduce pressure for these organisations but also diminishes guilt, as they know that their Apprenticeship Levy funds are still going to good use.

Levy employers within the West Midlands, who take part in the WMCA’s Levy Transfer demonstrate Corporate Social Responsibility, as The WMCA help them make best use of this funding by using it to benefit everyone in the region.

Levy Transfer Benefits for SME Employers:

West Midlands Combined Authority’s Levy Transfer ensures that SME’s get help with apprenticeship funding so that they can train employees and increase efficiency at no extra cost. The employer will no longer have to pay the 5% co-investment fees, meaning they could save up to £750 per apprentice through the initiative!

SME’s can train existing staff or hire new apprentices with these funds, and can even use them to up-skill more than one employee at a time.

Just like with Large Employers, The Levy Transfer means that SME’s can illustrate the importance of Apprenticeships in an organisation’s CSR strategy. By taking part in this initiative, SME’s are showing that they support talent and promote skills growth within the West Midlands.

Babington become a Strategic Partner to WMCA’s Levy Transfer

The WMCA need dedicated, high-quality training providers to ensure that the Levy Transfer reaches its full potential and Babington are proud to be one of the few WMCA Strategic Partners. We are supporting the Authority, The Levy Transfer and organisations within the West Midlands by providing our Ofsted Grade 2 training that enables real, professional growth.

The WMCA will work closely with us for all recruitment and training purposes founded through the Levy Transfer. For SME employers that are part of the scheme, this training and recruitment service is free of charge.

We also ensure to support the SME’s involved by providing advice and support, including assistance with the Digital Account, which is needed to access the Levy funds.

Available Online Apprenticeship Training, at no cost

Whilst your employee’s are remotely working, now is the perfect time to enhance their professionally skills, digitally and at no cost. If you would like to know more about our work with the WMCA and The Levy Transfer, please contact our Birmingham Centre, who are heading up our Strategic Partnership with WMCA.