Under the new system, employers will give the voucher to providers who will then claim funding directly from the Skills Funding Agency (SFA).
‘The digital apprenticeship voucher will give employers purchasing power without bureaucracy or red tape – a welcome move given the SME-dominated apprenticeship landscape in our industry and the fact that the improvement in the economy means more firms are considering recruiting apprentices,’ Johnson said. ‘Any additional bureaucracy around apprenticeships could deter these employers from taking on apprentices – the last thing anyone would want, and the last thing the industry needs.’
She continued: ‘Under the proposed new system, employers will have the freedom to choose who they work with, which will, I hope, drive up the quality of what’s on offer from training providers. Ours is a gold standard apprenticeship and employers and apprentices deserve nothing less than the best when it comes to the training on offer. Giving employers the freedom to choose who they work with should mean more competition and a better service from those delivering the training, which can only benefit the industry in the long term.’
Johnson concluded: ‘We will still need to understand the detail behind how the new system will work. TESP and its partners will continue to work with Government to ensure that our industry’s needs are heard and understood by employers as they develop these proposals.’