The Labour Party will commit additional spending for a ringfenced budget for apprenticeships in small businesses, the shadow skills minister has confirmed.
Toby Perkins told the Association of Employment and Learning Providers national conference in London this morning that an “additional spending commitment” had been agreed with the shadow treasury team to fund apprenticeships in small and medium-sized businesses.
The opposition announced plans to replace the apprenticeship levy with a skills and growth levy at its annual party conference last September.
Should it win the next general election, levy-paying employers will be able to spend up to 50 per cent of their contribution on non-apprenticeship courses. At least 50 per cent would need to be spent on apprenticeships.
