Apprenticeship Service and Small Employers
What's Changing? You may have heard that a change is coming for small businesses in 2020 in how they administer their apprenticeship contracts. The following FAQs have been produced by Access Training in an effort to help our small business clients navigate the changes. What is the Apprenticeship Service? In an effort to put employers firmly in the driving seat, the ESFA has determined that there should be a move away from contracts with apprenticeship providers. Instead, there will be a direct apprenticeship agreement between employers themselves and the ESFA. Once an employer starts working with Access, there will also be an agreement in place between the employer and Access. Your account manager can provide full details on this. The Apprenticeship Service allows employers to: get apprenticeship funding; find and save apprenticeships; find, save and manage training providers; recruit apprentices; and add and manage apprentices. |
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How does the new Apprenticeship Service affect me?
If you are a small employer (ie with an annual wage bill of less than £3 million), the new scheme applies to you where you are taking on any new apprentice from 2020 onwards.
Any existing apprentices may however continue to be processed according to the current contract arrangement which is expected to continue for up to two years.
If you are a Levy-paying client (ie if you have an annual wage bill of more than £3 million) you will already have a digital account. There will be no change to the way your account currently operates.
When will the new Apprenticeship Service for small employers be introduced?
The ESFA has indicated that it will start the transition to the new service for small businesses in January 2020.
What do I need to do about the new Apprenticeship Service?
You will need to register on the new service. The process is pretty straightforward and should be completed by a person of authority within your organisation:
You then have the option of managing the account yourself or of instructing Access to take on administrative responsibility as your apprenticeship provider.
By giving permissions to Access, you’re removing any administrative burden from your company. You will still of course have final sign-off on any vacancies, apprenticeship starts or any funding reservation requests that you have instructed Access to undertake on your behalf.
ESFA have confirmed that small employers should sign up to the new service without delay.
It is particularly important that you have created your Apprenticeship Service account in advance of employing a new apprentice, especially if you will be paying the Apprenticeship Minimum Living Wage.
Please speak to your Access account manager at the earliest opportunity so they can put in place all relevant paperwork for new apprentices on your behalf.
How do I set Access up as a training provider?
Following the link in your account to ‘Training provider permissions’ will allow you to add Access as a training provider. You can search for Access Training by typing in our UK Provider Reference Number which is 10010584.
How will my working relationship with Access change?
Access has a strong track record in assisting its clients from the first point of vacancy advertisements to maintaining all appropriate records throughout the apprenticeship.
Access is happy to continue this service free of charge for all clients who provide the appropriate admin permissions on the new Apprenticeship Service.
How will my working relationship with my apprentice be changed by the Apprenticeship Service?
The changes will have no impact on how you work with your apprentice. Your apprentices will still be recruited, employed and managed in the same way.
How will I pay the employer contributions for my apprentice under the Apprenticeship Service?
Any arrangements currently in place for your employer contributions will remain the same.
Do I need to ‘reserve’ funds under the Apprenticeship Service?
In an effort to better understand the apprentice ‘pipeline’ and to fund accordingly, the ESFA plans to introduce the option to reserve funds for future apprenticeship places.
This element of the scheme has yet to be launched. You will be able to reserve funding to pay for apprenticeship training and assessment at a later date. Of course, Access is happy to do this on your behalf if you provide us with the appropriate permissions.
Further questions on the Apprenticeship Service?
You can contact the National Apprenticeship Service for advice or help using the service.
Telephone: 0800 015 0600.
Alternatively, please feel free to speak to your Access account manager on 0330 002 6266 or [email protected].
If we don’t have the answer to your question, we’ll gladly pose it to the ESFA on your behalf.
If you are a small employer (ie with an annual wage bill of less than £3 million), the new scheme applies to you where you are taking on any new apprentice from 2020 onwards.
Any existing apprentices may however continue to be processed according to the current contract arrangement which is expected to continue for up to two years.
If you are a Levy-paying client (ie if you have an annual wage bill of more than £3 million) you will already have a digital account. There will be no change to the way your account currently operates.
When will the new Apprenticeship Service for small employers be introduced?
The ESFA has indicated that it will start the transition to the new service for small businesses in January 2020.
What do I need to do about the new Apprenticeship Service?
You will need to register on the new service. The process is pretty straightforward and should be completed by a person of authority within your organisation:
- Register a company account on the service at: https://accounts.manage-apprenticeships.service.gov.uk/service/index.
- Add a PAYE scheme for your organisation (either through your organisation’s Government Gateway login or through your accounts office reference number).
- Once the verification process is complete, you’ll be asked to accept an agreement with the ESFA.
You then have the option of managing the account yourself or of instructing Access to take on administrative responsibility as your apprenticeship provider.
By giving permissions to Access, you’re removing any administrative burden from your company. You will still of course have final sign-off on any vacancies, apprenticeship starts or any funding reservation requests that you have instructed Access to undertake on your behalf.
ESFA have confirmed that small employers should sign up to the new service without delay.
It is particularly important that you have created your Apprenticeship Service account in advance of employing a new apprentice, especially if you will be paying the Apprenticeship Minimum Living Wage.
Please speak to your Access account manager at the earliest opportunity so they can put in place all relevant paperwork for new apprentices on your behalf.
How do I set Access up as a training provider?
Following the link in your account to ‘Training provider permissions’ will allow you to add Access as a training provider. You can search for Access Training by typing in our UK Provider Reference Number which is 10010584.
How will my working relationship with Access change?
Access has a strong track record in assisting its clients from the first point of vacancy advertisements to maintaining all appropriate records throughout the apprenticeship.
Access is happy to continue this service free of charge for all clients who provide the appropriate admin permissions on the new Apprenticeship Service.
How will my working relationship with my apprentice be changed by the Apprenticeship Service?
The changes will have no impact on how you work with your apprentice. Your apprentices will still be recruited, employed and managed in the same way.
How will I pay the employer contributions for my apprentice under the Apprenticeship Service?
Any arrangements currently in place for your employer contributions will remain the same.
Do I need to ‘reserve’ funds under the Apprenticeship Service?
In an effort to better understand the apprentice ‘pipeline’ and to fund accordingly, the ESFA plans to introduce the option to reserve funds for future apprenticeship places.
This element of the scheme has yet to be launched. You will be able to reserve funding to pay for apprenticeship training and assessment at a later date. Of course, Access is happy to do this on your behalf if you provide us with the appropriate permissions.
Further questions on the Apprenticeship Service?
You can contact the National Apprenticeship Service for advice or help using the service.
Telephone: 0800 015 0600.
Alternatively, please feel free to speak to your Access account manager on 0330 002 6266 or [email protected].
If we don’t have the answer to your question, we’ll gladly pose it to the ESFA on your behalf.