Reforms to apprenticeship funding are "an opportunity for employers to take back control" says the accident repair industry skills champion, AutoRaise.
AutoRaise – the vehicle repair industry charity – has welcomed the views of national, independent think tank, IPPR, the Institute for Public Policy Research, which claims the new apprenticeship levy “may deepen the north-south divide”.
IPRR analysis* suggests London and the South East will benefit most from the government’s new apprenticeship levy on large businesses to be introduced on 1 April. The new levy on larger employers will raise less money and have smaller impact on areas that need it most, says the IPRR: “The new apprenticeship levy will raise less money, and stimulate training less, in the areas that need it most – the regions hit hardest by de-industrialisation, which suffer from low levels of qualification, low productivity and low pay,” said Clare McNeil, IPPR Associate Director for Work and Families.
“AutoRaise welcome the contribution to the skills debate from the much respected IPPR,” said AutoRaise Trustee and Chairman Chris Oliver. “AutoRaise are in agreement with the IPPR that there appear to be some clear anomalies arising from the Government reforms. As they relate to our sector, the landscape has been littered with false starts, lost causes and at time downright miss-management and ignorance by the establishment. The reforms are an opportunity for employers to take back control.
“The AutoRaise team were set up as pure, clean, conflict free organisation to arrest the decline and provide the industry with clear guidance on these complex issues,” said Chris. “They have achieved notable success to date. By providing the industry with jargon free, concise timely information, AutoRaise are best placed to work through the issues raised by the IPPR and others as we move forward to taking back control of the skills agenda.”
It’s essential that the industry gets behind addressing the skills shortage, whether it be taking on new apprentices, hosting Industry Showcase Events or simply helping to spread the word.
