News: Experian lead the way in training and support for small businesses

Experian, a FTSE 100 company with more than 2000 employees, is leading the way in its support for small companies looking to take on new apprentices.

As an Apprenticeship Levy payer, Experian is donating a quarter of its unused levy pot to smaller businesses to help them recruit and train new talent. 

The Apprenticeship Levy, launched in 2017, is paid by all large employers nationally as part of the Government’s drive to increase apprenticeship opportunities and fill the skills and productivity gap. The levy creates a fund within a large organisation that can be used to hire and train apprentices, including existing employees who want to complete a new qualification. 

Experian have pledged to support smaller local businesses by distributing some of their levy fund to them. This levy transfer arrangement permits large organisations to donate up to 25% of their unused levy pot to help stimulate the local economy by creating jobs. Uniquely, it offers smaller companies the opportunity to expand and grow with training paid for through Experian’s donated levy. 

Experian have partnered with Nottingham College to help promote the opportunity to local SME employers who may be interested in being one of the recipients of the levy transfer. 

If you are interested please complete our Expression of Interest form and email it to us at employer.​enquiries@​nottinghamcollege.​ac.​uk

This kind donation from Experian represents a fantastic opportunity for smaller local employers to afford to take on new apprentices with training costs partially, and possibly, completely covered. 

Experian has earmarked the types of apprenticeship they are looking to fund. These are:

1. Business Administration apprenticeship — up to 18 months and £5000
2. ILM Team Leading Level 3 apprenticeship – up to 12 months and £4500
3. Associate Project Manager Level 4 apprenticeship – up to two years and £6000
4. Level 3 Infrastructure Technician – up to 12 months and £15,000
5. Level 2 Accounts/​Finance Assistant – up to 12 months £6000

To take advantage of the opportunity employers must:

• Be ready to recruit a new apprentice or enrol an existing member of staff on to an apprenticeship. 
• Have identified which Apprenticeship Standards they wish to fund. 
• Have budget to pay the apprentice’s wage for the duration of the apprenticeship. 
• Have identified an existing member of staff who can act as a mentor to the apprentice. 
• Have set up a Digital Apprenticeship Account. For more information contact our Employer Services team on business@​nottinghamcollege.​ac.​uk or call 0115 9100100.