Lancashire firms urged to act on apprenticeships as deadline looms

Training provider PHX Training, which has offices in Blackpool, Preston and Morecambe, is encouraging businesses thinking of taking on an apprenticeship to act before the first deadline at the end of September.

Companies can benefit from a £3,000 payment if a new starter starts an apprenticeship before the end of November, but only if they have started employment with the company before the end of this month.

The payment is eligible for new starters of any age who were hired between April and September 2021 and go on to start an apprenticeship course before the end of November.

Becci Byers, Head of Work Based Learning at PHX Training, said: “Apprenticeships are a fantastic way for small business owners to increase their staff and grow while developing skills within your team.

“Not only do apprenticeships make good financial sense, but they also improve productivity and bring new ideas to the workforce. Similarly, you can use apprenticeships to train and develop existing employees to help upskill them.”

The £3,000 incentive is in addition to the £1,000 payment for employers who hire apprentices aged between 16 and 18 years old, or under 24 with a health and care plan from the local authority.

Small businesses with a payroll of under £3m only pay five per cent of the training costs of an apprenticeship - no more than a few hundred pounds – and the incentive can be used for any type of business costs or improvements.

PHX Training has training centres throughout Lancashire and Cumbria to help people complete training courses and apprenticeships to help people back into work.

PHX Training delivers government-backed initiatives including adult skills – Maths, English and vocational courses, NEET (not in education, employment or training), employability contracts and apprenticeships.