Last year we announced the launch of the Social Contract Programme, £1.7m-worth of activity funded by the government’s Contain Outbreak Management Fund to remove barriers to employment for individuals impacted most by the pandemic or experiencing challenges to employment, education and training.
The programme also aims to support businesses based in the county looking to champion apprenticeships through ‘unlocking’ or transferring their Apprenticeship Levy.
A key initiative within the Social Contract Programme sets out to encourage Oxfordshire businesses to ‘Grow your Own’ talent, utilising the Apprenticeship Levy or pledging it elsewhere in the county.
With £3.3billion of unspent Apprenticeship Levy returned to HM Treasury in 2021, OxLEP Skills are urging businesses to make the most of these funds – or where this is not possible internally, work towards your Corporate Social Responsibility goals for 2023 by supporting apprenticeships within your fellow Oxfordshire organisations.
Over the past few months we have shared the stories of numerous businesses who have engaged with the programme, by pledging their Apprenticeship Levy with support from the Social Contract – with Jacobs Douwe Egberts UK and the University of Oxford just two of the organisations to take the Social Contract ‘levy pledge pot’ over £163,000.
These Apprenticeship Levy pledges are enormously valuable to the county’s SMEs, growth businesses and organisations looking to grow their teams or support their existing skills ambitions.
One of these businesses is Witney-based Edgars Limited, with the award-winning Oxfordshire Planning Consultancy constantly looking to evolve their staff team and support the various routes to gain skills within the county, through initiatives such as apprenticeship schemes.
Utilising funding pledged by the University of Oxford, Edgars have created two Level 7 Town Planning Degree Apprenticeships – now being occupied by Charlie Bowyer, a post-graduate from Oxford Brookes University and Sam Biles, a school leaver who has advanced through the apprenticeship route to this Level 7 opportunity.
Charlie and Sam are just two examples of how supporting apprenticeships within the county can contribute to highlighting the value of different – or numerous – skills pathways, particularly to young people, those looking to change career, or those looking to gain skills, qualifications and work their way up through an organisation because they may otherwise face challenges entering their preferred profession – or the labour market in general.
Jayne Norris, Co-Director of Edgars – said: “OxLEP Skills successfully facilitated the Apprenticeship Levy transfer for us through the Social Contract Programme and helped guide us through this process.
“We feel privileged to have partnered with the University of Oxford and OxLEP Skills and that our apprentices can be proud that they’re being sponsored by the University.
“The Apprenticeship Levy transfer funds ensure we’re able to train and develop our apprentices to the high standards we expect from our staff. It also has a knock-on effect, as this investment allows us to invest in our local community and provide opportunities that might not have been possible otherwise.
“We’re hugely passionate about supporting apprenticeships here at Edgars and see it as the way forward – we strongly believe there is great benefit in having employees from diverse backgrounds and providing opportunities such as apprenticeships also helps with staff engagement and retention.
“We’ve also received support through the Social Contract Apprenticeship Grant Scheme, which can be used towards travel costs – through means such as driving lessons, as well as reducing other barriers for apprentices, such as key course-related activities.
“Any assistance for a small business is beneficial to help us grow and develop.”
Sam Biles, one of the Edgars Planners pursuing their apprenticeship with support received through the Social Contract’s ‘Grow Your Own’ Apprenticeship Levy transfer initiative – said: “This year I will begin the Level 7 element of my Chartered Town Planner apprenticeship and I’m excited to continue developing the knowledge and skills that will help me both academically and in the work environment.
“I’m grateful to Oxford University and OxLEP Skills for their support and would urge others to explore apprenticeships if they are interested – it’s a unique and worthwhile experience.”
Charlie Bowyer, a Graduate Planner at Edgars also furthering his studies with support from the programme, said: “Having the opportunity to complete my postgraduate studies whilst working within Oxfordshire had always been an ambition of mine – and now this opportunity has arisen, largely due to the funding received from the University of Oxford.
“I feel fortunate to have received this funding and want to demonstrate why Oxfordshire can produce some of the best apprentices around – largely due to the opportunity and trust provided through initiatives such as this.”
Helen Johnson, Apprenticeship Manager at the University of Oxford, said of the University’s involvement within the programme: “The University approved the implementation of our Apprenticeship Strategy in 2021, showing our commitment to apprenticeships.
“One of the aims of this is to ensure that we are transferring the full 25% allowance of our annual levy to other organisations. We are delighted that we have so far committed to over £1.1 million of levy transfer to charities, healthcare, SMEs, women in tech, as well as organisations within our supply chain.
“We aim to make the process as simple as possible to encourage other organisations to transfer unspent levy to others.”
There are currently around 220 businesses in Oxfordshire that pay the Apprenticeship Levy, but are currently not utilising it. Engaging in the Social Contract programme and retaining levy funds locally will support vital skills growth across Oxfordshire and help employers develop talent pipelines and retain key skills within the county.
To make the whole process as easy and as simple as possible for a business to transfer their Apprenticeship Levy, OxLEP Skills also have two ‘Apprenticeship Advisors’ who can offer their time totally free of charge.
Join OxLEP Skills’ mission to ‘Grow your Own’ talent here in Oxfordshire, whilst benefiting from free support and advice for your organisation through our Social Contract Programme.