DAS apprenticeship cap increase

DAS Recap

You can read our full article on the Digital Apprenticeship Service here. In brief, it’s the online portal that levy paying companies use to choose which apprenticeships they spend their levy on. In January 2020 access to the site was widened to include all businesses, meaning that each employer is able to choose exactly what apprenticeship course they want to enrol employees on, and with which training provider to do so. It essentially means a lot more freedom of choice when it comes to choosing an apprenticeship for staff.

Whats changing now?

Back in January, non-levy payers were capped at applying for 3 apprenticeship positions. The success of the scheme has meant that now employers can apply for up to 10 apprenticeship positions per company. This change comes into effect as of July 15th 2020, and will be the limit until April 2021 when the government rolls out the scheme in full.

What this means for you?

This is a great opportunity for employers to take advantage of. Apprenticeships are a low cost way to train staff, with the government footing 95% of the bill (see our levy and funding page for more details.) Staff enrolled on apprenticeships will continue to fulfil their regular work duties, the only difference is that they will spend 20% of their work week training. Investing in your workforce will boost productivity and loyalty, and ensure your employees are at the top of their game.

Do I need to hire new starts?

Nope. The great thing about apprenticeships is the way that they have evolved over the past few years. No longer are they aimed solely at young people wishing to have a trade. Today, apprenticeships range from the equivalent of an A level to the equivalent of a Master’s Degree. Age isn’t a limit, and it is becoming more and more common to use apprenticeships as a way of levelling up current staff’s skillsets.

If you’d like to hear more about how an apprenticeship could benefit your business, or if you want any more information on the apprenticeships that we offer, don’t hesitate to get in touch today.