The Apprenticeship Levy: How we use ours
14 December 2018
Like every other large employer with a PAYE cost of over £3million per year, SCC Group, which includes Apprenticeships at Salford City College and all the colleges in Salford, are subject to paying the Apprenticeship Levy. Head of Human Resource and Organisational Development for SCC Group, Kelly Mason, sees the levy as being a real bonus for the organisation. She said: “We have used and are using our Apprenticeship Levy to really strengthen the skills and behaviours of colleagues across a number of key areas within the colleges. We have ongoing investment in leadership, we have key support areas being developed such as accounting, HR and recruitment and we also use it to attract new staff into the organisation with the opportunity of a great development programme.” Debbie Ward, Head of Apprenticeships and Partnerships, and executive lead for the Apprenticeship Levy, added: “As an executive team, we talk a lot about the importance of brilliant staff. The levy offers us a great way of investing in staff using high quality, long-term programmes. Attracting the best new talent to the organisation is also critical to being able to deliver the highest calibre of provision for our students and apprentices. The Apprenticeship Levy helps with this immensely.” As a whole, the education sector has invested significant resource in developing new standards such as the Learning and Skills Teacher Standard. There are a number of new programmes available or very nearly available which could have a huge impact on how we recruit and train staff in our core operational area - teaching and assessing. Here are some of the incredible staff the college is currently developing: MICHAEL RILEY ACCOUNTS ASSISTANT CURRENTLY STUDYING TOWARDS THE ACCA LEVEL 7 QUALIFICATION
“I am currently studying toward my ACCA Level 7 qualification, which is equivalent to a master’s degree. Upon completion this will mean that I will be chartered in the accounting industry and therefore able to undertake more significant roles within an organisation. The qualification is split into three levels, which covers technical accounting skills as well as managerial skills.
KAYLEY CORRY MARKETING & PR OFFICER
CURRENTLY STUDYING TOWARDS THE ILM LEVEL 3 DIPLOMA FOR MANAGERS AND TEAM LEADER/ SUPERVISOR APPRENTICESHIP
“I am honoured to be given the opportunity to study further, alongside my job, using funds from our Apprenticeship Levy.
“The qualification will help me to become, in the future, a manager. But, more importantly, the skills I will obtain from my studying will ensure I have the capability of becoming an excellent manager not only for my organisation but also to motivate and lead a team to success.”
Want to know how you can utilise your Apprenticeship Levy? Call our expert team on 0161 631 5555.