OxLEP Skills’ Social Contract programme aims to address the impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic relating to unemployment, barriers to employment, education and training, with a core focus on encouraging Oxfordshire’s large businesses to pledge their unused apprenticeship levy towards small businesses – supporting apprenticeship opportunities in the county.
The Oxfordshire Local Enterprise Partnership Skills Team (OxLEP Skills) has announced today (Thursday 28 March) – following the success of its annual ‘CareersFest’last week – that one of its key skills programmes, which aims to retain investment in the county whilst supporting the creation of apprenticeships, has now far exceeded an overall project target, hitting a massive £2.58 million-worth of pledges.
The Social Contract is a £1.7 million programme of activity funded by the government’s Contain Outbreak Management Fund, via Oxfordshire County Council and led by OxLEP Skills. It aims to address several impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic relating to health and wellbeing linked to unemployment, barriers to employment, education and training through a number of initiatives – including the ‘Grow Your Own’ levy-pledge scheme.
The latest levy pledge milestone means OxLEP Skills continues to far exceed an original £1.3 million target of pledges set for the Social Contract programme – with funding continuing to be matched with local businesses all the time.
The apprenticeship levy is paid by large employers with an annual salary bill of £3 million or more. Following a recent government announcement, as of April 6 companies will be able to choose to transfer up to 50% of their levy funds each year to help other businesses pay for their apprenticeship training and assessment – doubling the 25% transfer cap at present.
If levy funding is not utilised within those large companies, or pledged to smaller businesses, it is lost to Oxfordshire and returned to the Treasury.
Pledges taking the initiative over the £2.5 million-mark include leading facilities management company Mitie, who have pledged £100,000 to champion women in STEM apprenticeships. This investment is set to pave the way for countless opportunities and advancements in the field, making a tangible impact on the future of the Oxfordshire workforce.
Leading property consultancy Bidwells have pledged £26,081 of their unused apprenticeship levy into Oxfordshire to support three Level 3 Care Apprenticeships at Bluebird Care and a Level 2 Animal Care and Welfare Assistant role at The Oxford Pet Whisperer.
Gemma Pluck, Talent Acquisition Manager at Bidwells – said: “We heard about the ‘Grow Your Own’ apprenticeship levy pledge scheme via an event I attended with OxLEP. As a business heavily involved in the future of the built environment within Oxford, we’re keen to support the growth of the region by creating better employment opportunities for individuals in the area.
“Pledging our apprenticeship levy is something very important to us and is something we will continue to do whilst we’re able to – the process is very easy. Why would companies not pledge part of their apprenticeship levy to enhance the opportunities for smaller businesses around us?”
Jamie Worth, Managing Director of Oxford Pet Whisperers – said: “We first learned about the apprenticeship levy pledge scheme through direct contact from Leah at OxLEP offering their support for local businesses.
“Our decision to take on an apprentice was driven by a desire to nurture new talent within the dog care industry, but as a small business and employer often what seems like little costs can have a big impact as we run on such fine margins.
“The support from OxLEP in arranging the apprenticeship levy pledge was instrumental in our decision to employ additional apprentices. Our apprentice has quickly become an integral part of our Pet Whisperers, helping to train and manage over 40 dogs per day.
“Our own training program supported by the apprenticeship helps develop their dog training skills and confidence much quicker - in their own words: 'It's more than a job, it's about making a positive impact on the lives of the dogs we care for.’
“I would encourage other small businesses to consider this pathway. The process was all taken care of by OxLEP and the process went quickly and smoothly."
As of March 2024, the ‘Grow Your Own’ levy-pledge initiative has supported 161 new apprentices through just over 50% of the levy pledged so far, since the programme launched in May 2022 – with many more exciting opportunities on the horizon.
The Social Contract programme works directly with levy paying businesses – raising awareness of pledge opportunities – as well as liaising with small businesses, highlighting that funding is available to support the creation of apprenticeships within their respective organisations, matching the pledge to the new apprenticeship and providing guidance and support throughout the government levy transfer process.
Sally Andreou, Skills Hub Manager at OxLEP, said: “We’re extremely proud to announce this new apprenticeship levy-pledge milestone – yet another example of how the Social Contract programme and we at OxLEP Skills are supporting the provision of – and access to – skills within Oxfordshire.
“Just last week we held our annual CareersFest at the Kassam Stadium – which saw around 3,000 of the county’s young people come together with businesses to discuss careers pathways and help inspire employment decisions, as well as connecting organisations with their future talent.
“Oxfordshire businesses are instrumental in ensuring we can retain the high calibre of talent growing in the county and through initiatives such as apprenticeships and reinvestment of apprenticeship levy funding, we can support smaller businesses in the county to grow their workforce and retain high-quality talent.
“We continue to encourage small businesses in Oxfordshire – who have not yet taken advantage of the funds available through the apprenticeship levy transfer scheme – to get involved and unlock the door to a growing future workforce.”
Other areas in which the Social Contract seeks to address the impacts of areas such as barriers to employment, education and training resulting from the Covid-19 pandemic or the ‘cost-of-living crisis’, include the ‘No Limits’ programme – funding triage workers at SOFEA’s food larders and community projects across Oxfordshire – aiding customers with any skills and employability support they might require. The programme also offers IT equipment, as well as training and travel bursaries to support access to employment or training.
Another initiative available through the Social Contract is the ‘OxGROW’ mentoring platform, supporting those seeking employment with access to a host of experienced business volunteers, to support with skills and employability queries and knowledge-sharing.
Find out how your business can pledge unused apprenticeship levy, gain access to funding or support for an apprenticeship, or engage in another area of the Social Contract programme at: skills@oxfordshirelep.com.
