ESFA to continue to fund apprentices to complete their training if they are at least 75 per cent of the way through their programme at the point of redundancy
@HomeServeUK comment to latest UK Government announcement on apprenticeship funding
Gillian Keegan, apprenticeship and skills minister, announced yesterday that a Statutory Instrument had been laid out in parliament to allow the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) to continue to fund apprentices to complete their training if they are at least 75 per cent of the way through their programme at the point of redundancy.
The HomeServe Foundation, a not-for-profit arm of leading home repairs company HomeServe Plc, is launching later this month with the goal of dramatically increasing the number of apprentices in the UK by supporting employers to take on and train more apprentices.
In reaction to this announcement, Helen Booth, Director of HomeServe Foundation said:
“Businesses across the UK have faced an incredibly challenging period through the COVID-19 pandemic, and with the Brexit deadline looming the future is still very uncertain for so many.
“Without doubt, apprentices have been some of the worst hit during the pandemic, with many unable to complete their training through no fault of their own. With apprenticeship numbers expected to decline by as much as 50%, it’s important for government and businesses to step up.
“It’s unclear when this change may come into place, but if passed it would mean that a significant number of apprentices will have the opportunity to complete their training and continue their career path in the future, which is welcome news.
“Whilst it’s great to see the government bringing in measures to support the apprentice workforce, we’re yet to see if this will make a significant impact. We know that through apprenticeships, young people have the opportunity to build and learn skills that are vital for the UK’s economy and so we’ll continue to do what we can to support both employers and apprentices during this time.”
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