Whistl have launched a new Apprenticeship fund for small businesses. The fund will help those who cannot afford to fund their own apprenticeships by allocating its monthly surplus funds to them.
Employers with an annual pay bill of over £3m have to pay the apprenticeship levy in monthly installments. These employers are termed as levy-paying employers. Employers have 24 months to use their funds once they enter their apprenticeship service account, after this point, their funds will expire.
Whistl typically has £30,000 a month available from its Levy to fund apprenticeship training both within the company and the community. The Whistl Apprenticeship Fund is focusing on early years learning, digital and engineering-focused apprenticeships.
In a pilot study, the company has already helped 20 organisations fund Level 2 to 5 apprenticeships in areas including Lancashire, Lincolnshire, Northamptonshire, and Yorkshire.
Organisations can view and apply for the Whistl Apprenticeship Fund at Search funding opportunities (manage-apprenticeships.service.gov.uk).
At Whistl we believe that people want to work in a company that will give them opportunities to upskill and to develop their potential no matter what their current role is. We call our employee development program ‘We value your career’. We are delighted that we can extend our program to also help provide people within our local community with career development opportunities too.
– Alistair Cochrane, CEO, Whistl
