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<p>This government is committed to delivering a world-leading skills system which
is employer-focused, high-quality, and fit for the future. The department’s reforms
are backed with an investment of £3.8 billion over the course of this Parliament to
strengthen higher and further education to help more people get good jobs, upskill
and retrain throughout their lives and to improve national productivity.</p><p>Over
5,000 employers have been involved in the development of nearly 700 high-quality apprenticeships
to meet their industry skills needs. To support employers of all sizes offer apprenticeships,
the government has increased investment in apprenticeships to over £2.7 billion in
the 2024/25 financial year. This includes investing a further £60 million to meet
overall increased employer demand for apprenticeships and encourage small-medium enterprises
(SMEs) to take on young apprentices.</p><p>From April, the department pays 100% of
training costs when SMEs take on new apprentices aged 16-21. Additionally, larger
employers can now transfer more of their levy funds (50% increased from 25%) to support
businesses of all sizes, which will help more employers to invest in apprenticeship
training.</p><p>Skills Bootcamps offer free, flexible courses of up to 16 weeks, giving
people the chance to build sector-specific skills with an offer of a job interview
on completion. Training providers work with employers to ensure training is designed
to teach the skills employers need. To date, over 1000 employers have been involved
in Skills Bootcamps. Employers play a range of roles from supporting the design and
delivery of the training, to recruiting learners that complete training into a job,
or an apprenticeship. Employers can also use Skills Bootcamps to upskill their existing
employees, subject to a 10% contribution for SMEs and 30% contribution for large employers.</p><p>Institutes
of Technology bring education and business closer together, creating unique collaborations
between colleges, universities and industry which deliver higher-level technical education
with a clear route to high skilled employment. The department has provided £300 million
of capital funding for infrastructure and industry standard equipment to increase
capacity to deliver level 4/5 technical skills. In addition, employer partners were
encouraged to provide additional support (monetary and in kind) which for the wave
2 competition was set at 35% of value of capital expenditure.</p><p>In October 2023,
the department launched a new website called Skills for Careers that provides a single
digital front door to information about skills training options and careers. A link
to Skills for Careers can be found here: <a href="https://www.skillsforcareers.education.gov.uk/pages/skills-for-life"
target="_blank">https://www.skillsforcareers.education.gov.uk/pages/skills-for-life</a>.
From Skills for Careers, users are guided through government’s skills offer from apprenticeships
to Skills Bootcamps, A levels to Multiply. The website provides an overview of each
option along with information about writing job applications and CVs.</p><p>Across
all areas of England, employer-led Local Skills Improvement Plans (LSIPs) have helped
engage thousands of local businesses and have brought them together with local providers
and stakeholders to collaboratively agree and deliver actions to address local skills
needs. By giving employers a more strategic role in the skills system, LSIPs are helping
to drive greater employer investment in skills and ensure businesses are more actively
involved in the planning, design and delivery of skills provision.</p><p>Departmental
officials are also working with the Office for Investment and Department for Business
and Trade to provide support for investors to navigate the skills system at a national
and local level and encourage take-up of government funded skills programmes and employer
investment in skills, as well as build strategic partnerships with local education
and training providers. Whilst it is not a core part of their role, some of the designated
employer representative bodies leading the LSIPs have engaged with inward investors
as part of developing and implementing their LSIPs.</p>
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