The Most Issue 5

No matter what size of business you are, if you wish to appoint an apprentice, you will be required to create a Digital Account. This is really simple and can be done by visiting www.account.manage-appretniceships. service.gov.uk/ Once you have a DAS account, you will be able to access the platform. It will ask you for your PAYE number in order to claim any funding. Please note: If it is a new PAYE account, activation is required and an initial payroll will need to be completed. INFORMATION FOR NON-LEVY PAYING CUSTOMERS For non-levy paying employers (with a pay bill less than £3m) who wish to hire an apprentice, you are required to reserve your funding for the apprentice’s training fees. This will be done through your Digital Account. Please note that whilst previously employers had six months to reserve the funding before expiration, it has been decided that very few employers needed this amount of time and it has been reduced to three months. Employers can still plan ahead when recruiting apprentices. You will have three months to reserve funding before an apprentice’s expected start date and have a further two months after the planned reservation to formally start your apprentice. As is the case now, if no commitment is made on the apprentice service, the reservation will expire. Further information can be found on the gov.uk website INFORMATION FOR LEVY PAYING CUSTOMERS If you are a levy paying employer and have surplus levy money which is due to expire – why not transfer it to another employer? You are eligible to transfer up to 25% of your levy funds. This is at no cost to you and you can choose who this money is transferred or pledged to. SMEs, in the majority of cases will have 95% of their funding paid for, so for many, the remaining 5% from the money you pledge will help. Visit your DAS account for more details. If you or one of your employees is able to evidence that they: • Are aged 19+ • Live in Lancashire • Do not currently hold a full, Level 3 qualification (or higher) (if employed and earning over £18,525.00) All of the above courses will be FREE to study! (Note – only one Level 3 programme from the list above can be chosen per person). DIGITAL ACCOUNT SERVICE WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW LIFETIME SKILLS GUARANTEE From April 2021 any adult aged 19 and over, living in the Lancashire region and meeting eligibility criteria has been able to study their first level 3 qualification with us, free of charge. Part of the wider £2.5 billion National Skills Fund, which aims to support immediate economic recovery and future skills needs, by boosting the supply of skills that employers require, the Lifetime Skills Guarantee allows us to offer a range of courses to any adult meeting the criteria outlined below. The courses on offer include: PAINTING AND DECORATING – LEVEL 3 NVQ PLASTERING – LEVEL 3 NVQ BRICKLAYING (TROWEL OCCUPATIONS) – LEVEL 3 NVQ SITE CARPENTRY – LEVEL 3 NVQ LIGHT VEHICLE MAINTENANCE AND REPAIR – LEVEL 3 DIPLOMA WELDING – LEVEL 3 DIPLOMA BOOKKEEPING – LEVEL 3 ADVANCED CERTIFICATE HEALTH AND SOCIAL CARE – LEVEL 3 CERTIFICATE ENGINEERING – LEVEL 3 NATIONAL DIPLOMA COUNSELLING – LEVEL 3 CERTIFICATE SUPPORTING TEACHING AND LEARNING – LEVEL 3 DIPLOMA WALL AND FLOOR TILING – LEVEL 3 DIPLOMA 34

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