Royal Mail urges SMEs to tap 1m apprenticeship fund during National Apprenticeship Week

"Royal Mail has urged small and medium-sized businesses to apply for its £1 million apprenticeship levy fund during National Apprenticeship Week (9-15 February), as it steps up efforts to help address skills shortages across the SME sector. Applications are open for the second round of the fund, which is available to businesses with up to 250 employees that sell products online."

"The funding can be used for any government-accredited apprenticeship, spanning areas from industry-specific roles to digital marketing, e-commerce, artificial intelligence and finance. The initiative forms part of Royal Mail Means Business, a wider campaign designed to champion SMEs and support their growth. The second £1 million funding round was launched in September following the success of the first, which was introduced after joint research by Royal Mail and the British Chambers of Commerce identified skills gaps as one of the biggest barriers facing growing businesses."

"To date, Royal Mail has supported apprenticeships across a wide range of disciplines, including marketing, HR, software development and data analytics. Under current rules, companies with an annual wage bill of £3 million or more are required to pay the apprenticeship levy. As one of the UK's largest levy-paying employers, Royal Mail has chosen to gift a portion of its levy to smaller firms, reflecting what it describes as its unique role in supporting businesses nationwide."

Royal Mail is inviting small and medium-sized businesses to apply for a £1 million apprenticeship levy fund aimed at addressing skills shortages in the SME sector. The fund is open to businesses with up to 250 employees that sell products online and can be used for any government-accredited apprenticeship, from industry-specific roles to digital marketing, e-commerce, artificial intelligence and finance. The initiative is part of Royal Mail Means Business and follows a successful first round and research identifying skills gaps as a major growth barrier. Royal Mail has gifted levy funds to support apprenticeships across multiple disciplines, with applications via the Small Business Hub.

Read at Business Matters