1. KATO Kent Association of Training Organisations Network Meeting 5 TH November 2015

2.  SELEP – Skills Advisory Meeting Messages  CPD – Kent and Essex event and survey  Kent Choices 4 U  AELP Autumn Conference- key messages  Apprenticeship Levy - overview  ALPSE Conference – 12 th November  Age Grant – growth opportunity (prime contractors) Update on Activity

3.  CIF 2015 – messages from early inspection reports  Making Apprenticeships Work – The employers’ Perspective (C&G) LinkLink  SELEP and skills shortage featuring our Skills Advisory Board - Skills section starts at around 52 mins. http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b06j6ny9/sunday- politics-south-east-25102015 http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b06j6ny9/sunday- politics-south-east-25102015  New funding round for Skills Capital and resources. http://www.southeastlep.com/news/article/3.5m-skills- capital-fund-goes-livehttp://www.southeastlep.com/news/article/3.5m-skills- capital-fund-goes-live  ETF Activities – Apprenticeship Development and Functional Skills Update on Sector

4. The government is committed to:-  Significantly increasing the quantity and quality of apprenticeships in England to 3 million starts this Parliament. In the last parliament there were over 2.2 million apprenticeships starts. Increasing to 3 million new starts this Parliament will mean an increase of over 35% on the achievement of the last five years.  Reforming the way that apprenticeships are funding –giving the purchasing power to employers. And is creating two different funding models for employing apprentices: The levy paying large employer who has no choice but to pay up to !00% of the cost and the non levy paying small employers who will voluntarily choose to employ an apprentice but is expected to pay up to 50% (frameworks)or 33% (standards) of the cost of training. Apprenticeship Levy

6.  70% of all apprentices in the UK are employed by SME’s, so the failure to invest in Apprenticeships by predominantly large corporate employers is leaving Government over reliant on small employers  Total public service employment although declining collectively employs close to 20% of the UK’s total workforce yet are estimated by Government to recruit less than 7% of all apprentices.  Within an18 month time line the Government will design, commission, build to budget and launch a fully functioning Levy system able to raise up to £2bn annually with individual employer accounts, and an E-voucher system capable of accurately holding the individual records of over 500,000 apprentices each with an individual price point and rate of progression Apprenticeship Levy

7.  The levy will apply to larger employers. Probably 250+  The Government intends for the levy to be calculated on the basis of employee earnings and for employers to pay the levy through their PAYE return to HMRC. Initial thoughts are 1%  Will be paid whether or not involved in Apprenticeships and the levy pot will be time limited (use or lose )  The levy will support all post-16 apprenticeships.  In England, any employer will be able get back more than it puts in by training sufficient apprentices. The NHS would need to take on 78,000 Apprentices to recoup their money!  The funding will be in the hands of employers via the digital voucher. Apprenticeship Levy