The clock is running for employers to secure £3,000 incentive payments for hiring new apprentices, top Midlands training Provider Performance Through People (PTP) has warned.

PTP, part of the BCTG group, is urging employers to start new apprenticeships before the deadline of the end of this month – 31 January – or miss out on the incentive scheme launched by Chancellor Rishi Sunak last year as part of his £500 million jobs support package.

PTP is also reminding firms that have already taken on a new apprentice between 1 October 2021 and 31 January 2022 that they should apply for the £3,000 payment as soon as possible.

Rob Colbourne, MD of Performance Through People, said: “The closing date for firms to apply for the latest incentive payment scheme to take on an apprenticeship is the 15th May 2022, for eligible employees. With Government budgets under increasing pressure as the Covid crisis continues, it makes sense to get take advantage of this opportunity sooner rather than later”

PTP is a key partner in the hugely successful Ladder programmes in the Black Country, Staffordshire and Greater Birmingham, encouraging more companies to increase their involvement in apprenticeship schemes.

Mr Colbourne added: “We would also urge companies considering apprenticeships to get them started now, rather than miss out on these valuable incentives.

“We can provide all the advice they need to offer an apprenticeship to new recruits or to aid in up-skilling their existing workforce.”

Originally offered from April 1 last year, the £3,000 grant was for anyone who had started an apprenticeship between 1 April 2021 and 30 September 2021, but Mr Sunak extended this in September to anyone starting a programme from 1 October 2021 until 31 January this year.

Rob Colbourne continued: “This £3,000 incentive payment has been a huge boost for employers. The payments are not only supporting the cost of employing someone and giving them the time to train while at work but can also be utilised for other costs incurred.

“Some of our employers have utilised the payments to reward staff – in one case by paying for driving lessons – while others have helped meet the cost of uniforms or PPE.

“We urge all employers to look at staff that they have recruited since 1 October 2021, irrespective of age or level of experience, and consider an apprenticeship programme to aid staff development and help staff retention.

“The 31 January 2022 will soon be upon us. As part of the Ladder network, we have a dedicated team who are eager to support businesses by offering impartial advice and guidance enabling them to make informed decisions and choose the right programme.”

The Ladder campaign has seen over 4,500 apprentices start their apprenticeship journey with some starting Level 2 programmes while others going straight onto degree programmes.

The Ladder campaigns across Greater Birmingham, Staffordshire and the Black Country have successfully created thousands of new apprenticeships at companies across the Midlands since the programme began rolling out in 2014, with hundreds more added every year.

For information on apprenticeships and accessing the incentive scheme, contact PTP Training by emailing skills@ptp-training.co.uk or telephoning 03332 408302.

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For further information, please contact:  

Carolyn Stokes, Operations Director

Phone: 01922 651100 Mobile: 07980740007

Email: carolyns@ptp-training.co.uk

www.ptp-training.co.uk

Prepared and issued by ASAP PR – 07990 978257.

Note to editors:

PTP Training Ltd is part of the BCTG Group, a West Midlands-based training organisation which supports almost 10,000 young people and adults each year.

The group has ten sites in Birmingham, the Black Country, Staffordshire and Newcastle-under-Lyme, and also includes The Apprenticeship Works, BCTG Ltd, Eurosource Solutions and Further Training.

Overall, the group offers 166 different types of apprenticeship, 84 different adult upskilling and reskilling courses and 27 pre-apprenticeship programmes for 16 to 18-year-olds. These include everything from healthcare and early years care to construction, engineering, manufacturing and logistics, through to business skills in IT, management and team leading.