The 2024 budget brings significant investments to transform education, childcare, and workforce development. Schools need qualified teaching assistants, and nurseries are expanding their early years provision, so these changes present exciting opportunities.
The Apprenticeship Levy was a tax introduced in the UK to fund apprenticeships. Large employers had to set aside 0.5% of their payroll (if it exceeded £3 million annually) to fund apprenticeship training. However, the levy was limited, as it only intended to fund apprenticeships. Thus, it was challenging for employers to use these funds for other training or upskilling initiatives. The new Growth and Skills Levy introduces more flexibility by allowing employers to use the funds for a broader range of training and skill development programmes, not limited to apprenticeships. This change reflects a recognition that industries require different types of training and that more than apprenticeships alone might be required to meet various skills gaps. With this flexibility, employers can allocate levy funds toward other forms of workforce development, such as shorter, targeted courses or Skills Bootcamps in high-demand areas, helping to address current and emerging skill shortages more effectively.
The aim is to create a system that supports a broader range of learning pathways and empowers businesses to tailor their workforce training to their specific needs. This will ultimately promote growth, adaptability, and competitiveness.
Health and Social Care: Empowering Employers Through Apprenticeships
The government’s £300 million investment in further education and its transformation of the Apprenticeship Levy into a flexible Growth and Skills Levy are game changers for the health and social care sector. Employers can now access funding for shorter, more targeted apprenticeships that address workforce shortages in high-demand areas such as care assistants and home health aides.
For health and social care employers:
- Flexible Training Options: The new funding supports shorter apprenticeships and foundation training, which is ideal for quickly onboarding employees.
- Skills Bootcamp Expansion: Employers can collaborate with training providers like JCL Skills Solutions to upskill existing staff or onboard recruits through intensive short-term courses.
- Strategic Workforce Planning: The increased budget allows employers to tailor training to their organisations’ unique needs, ensuring a workforce ready to deliver quality care.
Schools: Boosting the Teaching Assistant Pipeline
An additional £2.3 billion for schools includes funding for high-need areas and support for teacher pay awards. As of 2023, England’s education sector employs approximately 282,900 full-time equivalent (FTE) teaching assistants, marking an increase of 1,800 from the previous year.
However, the sector faces significant challenges, including recruitment and retention issues, exacerbated by cost-of-living pressures. A report from the National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER) highlights that many teaching assistants take second jobs or leave for better-paid roles due to financial strains.
Despite these challenges, specific projections for the additional teaching assistants required by 2030 in England and Wales are cited as 400,000. The demand for teaching assistants will likely depend on various factors, including student enrolment trends, educational policy changes, and the evolving roles of school support staff. To address current shortages and prepare for future needs, it is essential to improve recruitment strategies, offer competitive compensation, and provide professional development opportunities to retain and attract qualified teaching assistants.
This creates fertile ground for schools to recruit and develop teaching assistants at Levels 3 and 5, which is crucial for supporting students and enhancing classroom experiences.
For schools:
- Funding for Roles: Schools can use increased budgets to recruit qualified teaching assistants who are vital for supporting pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).
- Training Opportunities: Leveraging apprenticeship funding and ensuring teaching assistants are well-equipped with the latest pedagogical techniques.
- Inclusive Education Focus: With £1 billion dedicated to transforming SEND provision, schools can prioritise hiring and training staff to address diverse student needs.
Early Years: Expanding Nurseries and Supporting Providers
Early years funding receives a significant boost with £1.8 billion allocated to childcare and a £15 million fund to establish 3,000 school-based nurseries. This marks a pivotal opportunity for nurseries and Early Years providers to expand services and meet the growing demand for childcare.
For nurseries and Early Years organisations:
- Funding Access: Providers can bid for up to £150,000 to create or expand nurseries, enabling the opening of new facilities by September 2025.
- Workforce Development: Apprenticeships and training programmes for early years educators ensure a steady supply of skilled professionals.
- Enhanced Services: With more funding available, organisations can focus on offering high-quality care and education to children from nine months to four years.
Why This Matters for Employers and Educators
The 2024 Budget underscores the government’s commitment to addressing skill shortages and improving education and childcare infrastructure. Employers can create agile training pipelines to meet staffing needs, while schools and nurseries can access unprecedented resources to develop their teams and facilities.
At JCL Skills Solutions, we’re ready to help organisations maximise these opportunities. Whether you’re looking to onboard apprentices, expand your workforce, or develop staff through Skills Bootcamps, we provide tailored training solutions to meet your needs.
Get in touch today to explore how we can support your growth in 2024 and beyond.