The Apprenticeship Levy has been fully implemented with large employers making payments since April this year. However, it would not be surprising if some Northern Ireland employers were confused about what their payments are actually funding. You like many employers may have been left wondering where that money is going, concerned that you are not getting any return on that payment.

Whilst the Apprenticeship Levy is collected by HM Treasury, the use of those funds differs by region. In England, companies have access to a ‘digital voucher’ which directly corresponds to the value of the Levy payment they have made and that can be used to access apprenticeships training. This means employers see a direct return in their investment, with employers receiving training for the apprentices to the same value of the Levy they have paid since April. Unlike in England, Northern Ireland employers are not seeing their Levy funds directly returned through a digital voucher system. This can make companies think they are not able to access training provision, but this could not be further from the truth.

Funded by the Department for the Economy, Apprenticeships NI is Northern Ireland’s primary development programme for employed young people, helping employers upskill their staff whilst supporting their career progression in the workplace. All employers have access to all Apprenticeships NI frameworks, regardless of Apprenticeship Levy charges they have paid. This also means employers in Northern Ireland can benefit from Apprenticeships training beyond the amount they have paid on the Levy. Whilst employers in England are given vouchers worth a set amount of training, employers in Northern Ireland have more flexibility to train a higher number of apprentices, implementing Apprenticeships at a level that suits their business best whilst gaining more value for their Levy payment.

Apprenticeships NI also has a variety of frameworks available, making apprenticeships an attractive training solution for employers of all sectors. The traditional view on apprenticeships may be that they are limited to blue collar trades, but Apprenticeships NI includes a variety of options including Management, Creative & Digital Media, Customer Service and Sales.

Employers across the UK are seeing the added value apprenticeships can add to their business, with young employees able to increase their skills base as they progress in their career. Across the UK, 70% of employers report that apprenticeships have improved their productivity or the quality of their products and services, whilst 96% of employer report benefits to implementing apprenticeships in their business.

The Apprenticeship Levy may seem like just an additional tax on business, but employers do not need to be disheartened – your business can directly benefit by taking advantage of the development opportunities available for your teams.

For more information on how your business can implement Apprenticeships NI for your staff, contact Joanne Cameron at Joanne.Cameron@PeoplePlusNI.com