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<p>The apprenticeship levy supports employers of all sizes to invest in high-quality
apprenticeship training. Transfers are a great way for large employers to use their
levy funds to support apprenticeships in other businesses, including small and medium
sized enterprises (SMEs), flexi-job apprenticeship agencies and charities, to help
meet local or sector skills needs. This could include businesses in their supply chain.</p><p>The
department continues to promote the benefits of levy transfers and has increased the
proportion of their funds that levy-paying employers can transfer to support more
apprenticeships in other businesses from 25% to 50%. This will help SMEs hire more
apprentices by reducing their costs and enabling them to benefit from the support
and experience that larger employers can provide.</p><p>Hundreds of large levy-paying
employers have already taken advantage of the opportunity to transfer their unused
levy funds to other businesses. Since September 2021 over 550 employers, including
ASDA, HomeServe, and BT Group, have pledged to transfer over £37 million to support
apprenticeships in businesses of all sizes. It is also encouraging to see regional
schemes to support local businesses through transfers, including in the West Midlands.</p><p>SMEs
can also access funding directly from the apprenticeships budget. The department has
increased investment in the apprenticeships system in England to over £2.7 billion
this financial year to support employers of all sizes, including SMEs. In addition,
last year, the department removed the limit to the number of apprentices that SMEs
can take on, making it easier for them to grow their businesses. This has already
benefitted almost 350 SMEs. The department also now fully funds the costs of training
and assessment for new apprentices aged 16 to 21 in small businesses.</p>
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