Greater awareness and access to financial support is needed to get more apprentices into the workplace, according to the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB).
Speaking after a consultation on National Minimum Wage (NMW) exemptions for apprentices, the FSB told the Low Pay Commission that small businesses needed better support to ensure training rates are improved.
‘The FSB believes in apprenticeships and their value to the economy which is why exemptions from the NMW are not critical to small businesses,’ explained Colin Willman, FSB education and skills chairman. ‘The NMW levels for apprenticeships must be the same as a 16-18 year old in ordinary employment, an increase in completion levels are the greatest concern.’
He added: ‘We would like to see greater efforts to make small businesses aware of financial support for providing training and a reduction in the bureaucracy to receive it. This should enable employers to tell the next generation of apprentices, ‘You’re Hired.”
A survey by the FSB found that only 5% of small business owners were aware that compensation was available for giving apprentices time off to train.
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