Royal Mail is to help small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) deliver more training by gifting them £1 million in transfer funding via its apprenticeship levy.
The postal operator launched the fund following an in-depth survey undertaken with British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) which revealed that a quarter of businesses have skills shortages.
Open to SMEs with fewer than 250 staff, the Royal Mail's funding support can be used for any government-accredited apprenticeship.
Many of the 1,200 BCC members who responded to the survey: Small Businesses: Delivering Growth for Britain, said they'd like to see reforms to the apprenticeship system and more flexibility around training pathways to help them upskill their workforce. They reported that skills and knowledge gaps were holding them back, with regard to both traditional skills and to keeping up with latest technological developments.
According to the research's findings, businesses felt that apprenticeships work best when tailored to meet 'real, on-the ground' needs. They called for training that specifically aligns with an employer's requirements, rather than a generic, one-size-fits-all, approach.
In his foreword to the survey, Alistair Cochrane, Royal Mail's interim CEO, said his organisation already provided small business with a range of tools and resources to help them grow and expand, including advice on marketing, selling online and overseas exports.
And, while proud of the support Royal Mail gave to SMEs, it wanted to go further.
He added: "That's why we have launched our new campaign, Royal Mail Means Business, to provide more support to the sector. As part of the campaign, we are partnering with the British Chambers of Commerce and have spoken to small businesses up and down the country to understand barriers and opportunities for growth. The aim of this report is to answer a simple question: collectively, what can be done to help small businesses to reach their potential and in doing so boost the economy and provide opportunities for employment."
With around 130,000 employees, Royal Mail is one of the UK's largest employers and also indirectly supports more than 62,600 jobs in Britain. According to research conducted on its behalf, the company employs one in 200 workers in the UK and is the eighth largest contributor to the economy.
As a major employer with an annual wages bill of more than £3 million, Royal Mail is required to pay the apprenticeship levy. It can also choose to gift some of its own levy funds, transferring them to other businesses via its apprenticeship service account.
How to apply to the Royal Mail Levy Transfer Fund
Royal Mail's transfer funding is available to businesses that are already part of its supply chain and to those that aren't. Details on eligibility and what information to submit when applying to the fund can be found here.
How Onefile can help
Businesses applying to the Royal Mail Levy Transfer Fund will want to get their apprenticeship scheme up and running just as soon as their application has been accepted.
And it's possible that some of those SMEs who apply won't have taken on an apprentice before; the whole process from recruitment and onboarding to gateway and EPA could be new to them.
As the leading learner management platform, Onefile can help any business, regardless of size of sector, to make the most of their apprenticeship programmes.
To learn just what Onefile can do for you and your apprentice, talk to us today.
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