Fewer than 1,000 staff? Claim your £15,000 apprentice grant
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Words: a Hailstone HAULAGE FIRMS with fewer than 1,000 staff can benefit from the extension of an apprenticeship grant, worth up to £15,000, until March 2014.
The government's Apprenticeship Grant for Employers (Age) is a £1,500 per person wage-grant accessible to firms in England that have never employed an apprentice before, or have not recruited one in the last 12 months.
The Age 16-24 scheme is in addition to the training costs of an apprenticeship that are currently met in full by the government for 16to 18-year-olds, and up to 50% for those aged 19 to 24.
Provided through the National Apprenticeship Service (NAS), the funding had only been on offer during the 2012/13 financial year, but the government extended it last week for a further year. It was also expanded to enable eligible employers to claim a maximum of 10 grants of £1,500.
Business secretary Vince Cable (pictured) said: "I know it can be a big decision for busy, small companies to take on an apprentice.
"The £1,500 grant is a token to acknowledge this and thank employers. I hope many more people will take us up on our cash incentive to grow their business, and train the workforce of the future."
David Way, the NAS chief executive, added: "Apprenticeships are proven to deliver a significant return on investment. There has never been a better time to recruit an apprentice, so I hope more organisations will look at how they can benefit from this grant over the coming 12 months and reap the rewards of a more motivated, skilled and qualified workforce."
Although larger companies aren't eligible for support through the Age initiative, or those looking to take on apprentices over the age of 24, there is government funding available via other schemes.
"It's a myth that funding is only available for youngsters. If you want to recruit an older apprentice, there are government contributions available for the over-25s. It all depends on the sector, the area of expertise and the size of the company," said Tim George, relationship manager at learning provider Positive Outcomes.
He adds there are always "negotiations" to be done, and advises haulage firms to get in touch with a learning provider to discuss the options.
Positive Outcomes offers a range of NVOs, including Distribution & Warehouse, Customer Service and Team Leading.
• For full details of apprenticeship schemes, go to: apprenticeships. org.uk