How I mitigated £1.4 million apprenticeship levy spend for 2017/18 with re:find and how you can do the same.

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Apprenticeship levy spend
Apprenticeship levy spend

I am beginning to feel like a serial blogger. I want to add photos to my blogs so I can put up them on Instagram but who cares about the Apprenticeship Levy on there? Well, you might be surprised as it seems everyone is talking about the Apprenticeship levy and of course, talent.

I can imagine you’re thinking it’s all doom and gloom…. or is it? The news about the Apprenticeship Levy spreads and suddenly, your finance director starts to think training is important and insists that the money should be spent on your employees and you’re in charge of it all! This may sound unnerving but in reality, it isn’t a bad thing, it’s a positive game changer…

Creativity is key and the question you have to ask yourself is if you have the skills and competencies internally to run this? What do you have to gain by buying or borrowing extra support and people? So, if you do decide to buy in, are they good enough as providers to align with your brand?

In order to mitigate the levy for one client, I asked re:find to help me pull together a team of people to project manage the roll-out of the apprenticeship sign up and to support the growth of the L&D department. As a result of this, my client will be one of the first UK companies to self-deliver the levy.

This client will be putting 9,000 people through industry-related apprenticeships over the next three-year period. They now have the systems, processes and capability to deliver this. The team is outstanding and it was actually hard to leave, but I was thankful to have the support of re:find.

Building a new project focused, driven learning and development team together so quickly is never easy.

You need a mixture of skills to ensure that people who understand the brand very quickly and what is needed to deliver such huge projects. It starts with the design of the team, the processes and systems, and ends with the people aligned to the delivery model.

We’ve had some people that have implemented roll outs previously for the Olympics but as with all teams, it’s important to find the right people who understand the culture and the brand to be able to hit the ground running – that is the key to success!

re:find are particularly strong at that, not only do they assist on finding the right people but they also ensure that they are focused and have a great understanding of the culture they would be working in. As I left the team to stand on their own foundations, they had already signed up over 500 apprentices and were delivering well.

Client confidentiality means I can’t share too much detail but suffice to say that you can gain up to £4,500 funding per apprentice with the new trailblazer funding in the UK if you self deliver. This helps you pay for the 20% of the time individuals need to spend in training on these courses.

If you are not planning to self-deliver then you need to think about how you are managing your levy in the most effective way possible. It’s just another project, so there’s no need to overthink it! There are really only a few questions that stand out in an area that appears more complex than it really is.

  • What are the skills that need to be delivered for your business strategy and TNA?
  • How can you develop an apprenticeship to fill that gap?
  • Should you self-deliver or gain support from a third party supplier?

I am really excited about the levy and how much HR will now grow creatively over the next few years to deliver this new vision of apprenticeships for all.

Here at Waponi HR, we are happy to offer your teams bite-sized help and support when and where you need it. It’s time to change the interim market, tailor support and deliver outcomes!

Thank you to Karen for sharing her experiences of creating a team to support the Apprenticeship Levy funding. You can find out more about Karen and Waponi HR here.

Do you want to find out more about how re:find can help you create a strong and dynamic team to take on the apprenticeship training programs?

You can email me at sam@refind.co.uk.

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You can view more about Sam Perry our Shared Services Executive Search expert here.

How do you tailor your CV to a job?

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Tailoring your CV

Job hunting can sometimes feel like an odious long-winded task. Everything is questioned, from how you dress at an interview, to why there is a gap on your CV, to why you may have decided to go to university to study Zoology, but are now looking to focus on a career in marketing. Before the stage of being questioned is reached, however, it is always good practice to alter your CV to suit the job role that you’re applying for, as it outlines your passion for the role. But how do you do this efficiently?

1. Is it unique?
To ensure your CV and cover letter is unique for each role you apply for, it is a good idea to have a master copy that you then use as a starting point for each role. If you are applying for two different industries, then have one master copy for each. Alter the order of your sections to suit the role, it allows the recruiter to scan the CV to see that you do have all they are looking for quickly. If you are applying for a role that requires a university degree, then give this section priority and put it towards the top.

2. What words are you using?
Think about the words, especially the adjectives, which are used within the job specification and mirror them in your skills section in your CV. Put it in a different order to ensure it is not too obvious. Try to use some technical jargon that is relevant to the sector you are working for, for example, if you are applying for an HR role, ‘blue-sky thinking’ may be beneficial to use. Using these words envisages experience, as well as understanding of the sector. Also, try to not overload the CV with jargon or “fancy” words, it can cancel out your understanding and can look a little desperate.

3. Have you carried out a search?
Have a look online for job adverts that are similar to the role you applying to, so you can ensure you have an in-depth understanding of what is required in the position you are applying for.

4. Done any research?
Do a little research into the organisation you are applying for. Find out about their reputation and how they present their culture. This would be beneficial when looking at the ‘interests’ section of your CV. If the company has a ‘work hard and play hard’ culture then there would be no qualms in talking about your social interests. Whereas, if the organisation is one that concentrates on remaining professional at all times, you would then only include a select few of your interests that would suit.

5. Be Positive
Try to not be negative in your CV, it can show that you are lacking self-belief or confidence. We all have something we are working on or want to improve, turn that into a positive on your CV. For example, a job seeker may have basic spoken communication skills when applying for a HR Officer role. It can be stated that the job seeker has a basic set of spoken communication skills but with the passion to learn more.

If you think this role is perfect for you, this will show in your CV and cover letter, so ensure you apply for roles that work for you. As well as making sure your CV is concise, intriguing and interesting, the pointers above should help you to get you that dream job or least get you into the right direction. Make sure no exceptions are made, you never know when luck will strike. Good luck jobseekers!

To have a chat about your executive search, contact me at carl@refind.co.uk.

You can view more about Carl Hinett our Executive search of HR professionals specialist here.