Apprenticeship Levy
What is the apprenticeship levy?
The Apprenticeship Levy applies to all organisations (public & private sector) based in the UK with a payroll of £3 million plus. As such, employers will pay a levy on their whole pay bill at a rate of 0.5%.
Apprenticeships consist of off-the-job training, and on-the-job training. Off-the-job training must be at least 20% of the apprenticeship duration, and could include regular day release for classroom sessions, practical training e.g. shadowing/mentoring, and industry visits. On-the-job training helps develop specific skills in the workplace and should be overseen by a workplace mentor. Benefits of apprenticeships include increasing employee satisfaction, reducing staff turnover, and reducing recruitment costs.
Industry has now recognised that there is a vast skills shortage in the Supply Chain and only by investing and the upskilling of procurement professionals would this help facilitate growth.
As a result, the Apprentice levy can now be used to train existing procurement professionals via the Commercial Procurement and Supply Apprenticeship standard (previously known as Public Sector Commercial Level 4 Apprenticeship). This standard is suitable for all organisations.
This the Apprenticeship is usually delivered over a 2-year period, where the Apprentice will complete the CIPS Level 4 Diploma course before completing an End Point Assessment. This consists of a case study and panel interview supported by a showcase portfolio to ensure the training is being deployed.
