The majority of UK businesses are planning to invest in training their workforce in the next few years, according to research by the Confederation of British Industry (CBI).
A survey representing more than 28,000 employers found that 85% expect to either maintain or increase their investment in training.
Despite this trend, the number of firms offering apprenticeship programmes decreased from 83% in 2017 to 70% in 2018.
Additionally, over half (59%) of businesses said they had experienced difficulty in recruiting apprentices or expected to do so in the next three years.
The Government has announced reforms to the apprenticeship levy, including a reduction to small firms’ co-investment from 10% to 5%, but the CBI says further improvements are needed.
John Cope, head of education and skills policy at the CBI, said:
“While some companies are benefiting from the apprenticeship levy, big challenges remain.
“To its credit, the Government has listened and is delivering reform: making the system more flexible and slashing the cost for small businesses.
“But the end goal remains that the apprenticeship levy should evolve into a more accessible skills levy.”
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