MORE CUTS - From Government
Hidden in an announcement that was proclaimed as a positive was another cut to our resources this time of £800,000. The training levy of 1/2% on payroll, is announced as something that is to be used to pay for the number of apprentices we need. We do need an expansion of apprenticeships and it is only right that the firms who benefit from a skilled workforce should pay for them.
BUT - and a big but at that - this is at the time when central government is cutting the provision of post 16 education in colleges by 40%. So what is really happening is that money is being taken off employers (in our case £800,000) to be handed to central government to allow them to replace their spending on colleges. Whilst they are also encouraging the provision of "Free School" sixth forms, where they are not needed supplying training that in many cases is substandard and over priced.
