Provision of Apprenticeships Services

The government announced the apprenticeship levy in the Summer Budget 2015, with an introduction date of April 2017. As a service we are committed to the government's expectation that the public sector will lead the way in the offering of apprenticeships. ESFRS's short term plan is to use apprenticeships to upskill current employed staff, although in the medium to long term, the intention is to use apprenticeships as incentives in future recruitment options, and we therefore see apprenticeships as a long term investment. Our apprenticeship programme is likely to include a range of topics over a range of skill levels including intermediate, advanced and higher apprenticeships up to level 5. We require support to achieve this aim.