Empowering your Health and Social Care Organisation

Industry-leading H&SC apprenticeships for non-levy paying businesses

At Lifetime we understand the importance of having a skilled and happy workforce. The talent within your organisation is the key to your success and continued high level of service provided to your users.

Apprenticeships have changed considerably over the last few years, from how they are delivered, assessed and paid for. We’re on hand to help you understand how they work and are funded.

There is a common myth that to be qualified in the care sector, you need an NVQ. The NVQ has been replaced by the RQF (Regulated Qualifications Framework) which is one of the elements of an apprenticeship standard.

Apprenticeships offer a very cost-effective way to train and upskill your workforce with industry-leading training, bringing measurable benefits to your business and your team.

Understanding non-levy funding

How you pay for an apprenticeship varies depending on the size and wage bill of your organisation. If your wage bill is below £3 million, you will not pay the apprenticeship levy.

Instead, you will be classed as a non-levy paying employer. Non-levy paying employers share the cost of training and assessing their apprentices with the government, this is called co-investment. You will pay 5% towards the cost of apprenticeship training and assessment, with the government paying the remaining 95%.

For example, the cost of the Adult Care Worker Level 2 apprenticeship is £3,500 (including the End-point Assessment). You will pay £175 and the government will fund the remaining £3,325. There's also the option to pay in monthly instalments of just £17.50 for the 12-month period.

If your organisation employs less than 50 people and the learner is 16-18 years old, the government will pay 100% of the apprenticeship. For a non-levy paying organisation, the government will fund a maximum of 10 apprentices. The apprenticeship is paid for via the Apprenticeship Service, a government platform which is used by employers to fund and manage apprenticeships. Find out more information about apprenticeships for non-levy paying organisations here.