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<p>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
specific needs.</p><p>As announced this week, from April the department are increasing
the proportion of their funds that levy-paying employers can transfer to support more
apprenticeships in other businesses, including those in their local area or supply
chain, 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.</p><p>The
below table shows the number of non-levy paying employers that have received levy
transfer funding and the value of that funding. It is extremely encouraging that use
of transfers continues to increase year-on-year. The department does not hold transfer
data specific to SMEs (currently defined as businesses with fewer than 250 employees)
but can confirm that most non-levy paying employers are SMEs.</p><table><tbody><tr><td><p><strong>F</strong><strong>inancial
Year</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>2</strong><strong>020-21</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>2</strong><strong>021-22</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>2</strong><strong>022-23</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>N</strong><strong>umber
of non-levy employers receiving transfer funding</strong></p></td><td><p>2,370</p></td><td><p>3,700</p></td><td><p>5,080</p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>Value
of funding transferred (£ million)</strong></p></td><td><p>£13</p></td><td><p>£19</p></td><td><p>£26</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p>To
note: <em>Values include new apprenticeship starts and those who started in previous
years but are still being funded. If an employer receives a transfer for an apprenticeship
which continues across more than one financial year, they will appear in each year’s
employer count. Values are actual payments made to date - they do not represent the
total committed cost of transfers into future months and years.</em></p>
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