Hauliers and fleet operators face growing pressure to deliver more efficient, sustainable operations.
However, one of the biggest barriers can be securing the right engineering talent for your workshop. That’s where funded automotive and engineering apprenticeships come in.
Here’s what you as a haulier (or fleet maintenance business) need to know to make the most of them.
Apprenticeship Levy
If your organisation’s annual pay bill exceeds £3 million, you’re required to pay the Apprenticeship Levy at 0.5% of your pay bill. These funds are held in your digital account via the Apprenticeship Service and must be used within 24 months, otherwise they expire.
You can use your levy funds to sponsor apprentices in your own business, or transfer (“share”) up to 25% of unused funds to other employers (for example your supply chain, maintenance partners or partner SMEs).
For you as a large haulier or fleet owner, this means you can channel unused levy funds to support engineering training in partner firms or bring in apprentices under your umbrella and retain skills in-house.
Co-investment
Many fleet maintenance businesses are SMEs and don’t pay the levy. For those, apprenticeship training is funded largely by government via co-investment. You pay just 5% of the agreed training and assessment costs, and the government covers the remaining 95%.
This makes taking on apprentices relatively low-risk in cost terms. The provider and employer can reserve funding ahead of the apprenticeship start date (up to three months before or within one month after the start).
What this means for hauliers and fleet maintenance firms
- By training apprentices yourself or gifting your levy to partner firms, you can make the most of your levy contributions rather than seeing them expire.
- SMEs can take advantage of co-investment and the minimal 5% employer contribution.
- Strategically, investing in these apprenticeship schemes aligns with Greater Manchester’s carbon-neutral 2038 ambition and its Local Skills Improvement Plan emphasis on green skills, automation, electronics and engineering capabilities.
If you’d like help assessing potential apprentice roles such as:
- Level 3 Heavy Vehicle Service & Maintenance Technician
- Level 3 Engineering Maintenance Technician
- Level 4 Engineering Manufacturing Technician
or modelling cost and return for your fleet business, we’re happy to assist. Contact us on 03333 222 666, email enquiries@totalpeople.co.uk or fill out our contact form here.
