Correspondence

Business Update - Issue 69 (July 2021)

Updated 1 November 2021

This correspondence was withdrawn on 21 September 2023

This page has been withdrawn as it is out of date.

You can read more about apprenticeships on GOV.UK.

You can find the latest from ESFA in our weekly newsletter, ESFA Update.

Applies to England

In this edition of Business Update, our round-up of business-critical news and information from the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA).

Please share Business Update with your colleagues who might like to register for web alerts. This will notify them by email when we add new editions of Business Update to GOV.UK.

For more information about apprenticeships, you can visit apprenticeships.gov.uk or call 08000 150 600.

Can’t find a training provider? Share your interest

If you are struggling to find a provider offering the apprenticeship training you need, you can now fill out a simple online form to share your interest in a particular course with all providers.

You will be notified by email of any providers who are able to support your apprenticeship training request, so you can contact them to discuss. Your contact details will not be shared.

How to share your interest:

• search for apprenticeship training using ‘Find apprenticeship training’
• enter a town, city or postcode and select ‘View providers for this course’
• on the results page, look for ‘Can’t find a training provider?’ and select ‘Share your interest’

Updates coming to the apprenticeship service

Over the coming months we will be introducing new features to the apprenticeship service, to help you manage apprenticeships easily and effectively. We will keep you informed about what you can do and when.

Improvements to apprentice onboarding

New apprentices that you add to your apprenticeship service account will receive an email requesting them to review and confirm the details of their apprenticeship. Apprentices will be able to refer back to these details during their apprenticeship. They will also have access to guidance on what is expected of them, their training provider and you as their employer. These changes will help to make their apprenticeship a quality experience.

Improvements to apprenticeship training and assessment

Within your account, you will be able to select which version of an apprenticeship standard you would like to be delivered by training providers and end-point assessment organisations. This will ensure training matches your business needs and your apprentices receive the right training and assessment.

Improvements to transferring and accessing funding

Employers who pay the apprenticeship levy (those with an annual pay bill of more than £3 million) will be able to pledge unspent levy funds (up to their 25% transfer allowance) to support apprenticeships in other businesses.

All businesses will be able to see these pledges on a public website and apply for funding to pay for 100% of their apprenticeship training and assessment costs (up to the funding band maximum).

Action now: incentive payment for hiring a new apprentice

Employers will receive £3,000 for new apprentices of any age who join their organisation from 1 April 2021 to 30 September 2021.

You can apply for incentive payments for these apprentices from 1 June 2021 to 30 November 2021.

Eligibility

Employers with apprentices who have an employment start date between 1 April 2021 and 30 September 2021 and who also have a practical period (training) start date between 1 April 2021 and 30 November 2021 are eligible for an incentive payment.

How to apply

You can apply for the incentive payment through the ‘Finances’ section in your apprenticeship service account, under ‘Your hire a new apprentice payments’.

Reminder: steps to take before you apply

There are 6 steps you need to have completed before you apply for an incentive payment for hiring a new apprentice:

1. You need to have registered an account on the apprenticeship service
2. If you do not pay the apprenticeship levy, you need to have reserved funds in your apprenticeship service account
3. You need to have recruited an apprentice
4. You need to have added your apprentice to your apprenticeship service account
5. You need to have agreed a start date for apprenticeship training to begin with your training provider
6. You need to have accepted the latest version of the ESFA employer agreement

If you require support with any of these steps, please watch our how-to videos or visit our help portal where you can access help articles, webchat with an adviser, call or text our helpline, or email our helpdesk.

Employer case studies

Find out how other employers are making the most of the incentive payment:

• read employer case studies
• hear from Lookers and Walsall Council

Webinar for employers: 2021/2022 Funding Rules

Join us on 15 September 2021 at 12 noon when we will be providing an overview of the new funding rules, including the main updates and amendments.

The webinar is not designed to review your queries with the application of specific funding rules, we would encourage you to raise these through our helpdesk.

For more information, please see our webinar registration page.

Apprenticeship Funding Rules

We have published the apprenticeship funding rules 2021/2022 (clarification version).

The changes we have made are detailed in the summary of changes which can be found on the apprenticeship funding rules page on GOV.UK.

These rules are being published following the publication of the August 2021 policy document and will reflect these changes. They should be read alongside the apprenticeship response to coronavirus (COVID-19).

These funding rules are a clarification version to give you the opportunity to provide feedback.

Send any feedback to fundingrules.comments@education.gov.uk by Friday 16 July. We will update the rules to reflect any clarifications later in July.

Apprenticeship Funding: Eligible Costs Review

We undertook a consultation earlier this year on the eligible and ineligible costs of training and on-programme assessment. We would like to thank you for responding so positively to the consultation, which received 78 responses. We are considering our response to the consultation and any potential changes to eligible and ineligible costs as part of the Government’s planned spending review in 2021. We will provide a further update towards the end of the year.

Support

The Business Support Helpline number in England is:

Freephone :0800 998 1098

The helpline provides free, impartial business support and signposting services to businesses in England – which currently includes business advice on COVID-19.

You can also find free support, advice and sources of finance through your local growth hub or speak to an advisor on webchat about support for your business.

DfE coronavirus helpline: 0800 046 8687