Castleford Academy Trust
Castleford Academy Trust
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In May 2017 the Apprenticeship Levy was introduced. All employers with an annual pay bill of more than £3 million pay 0.5% of their monthly payroll into the levy. This equates to around £49,000 for Castleford Academy Trust 2021/22.
Public sector bodies with 250 or more staff in England have a target to employ on average at least 2.3% of their staff as new apprentice starts. This has proved a stretching target for all and would represent more than 11 new apprentices starting across the Trust within one year.
The Government considers the duty to ‘have regard’ to the target to mean that, in making workforce planning decisions, public bodies should actively consider apprenticeships, either for new recruits or as part of career development for existing staff. Apprentices are only considered as ‘new apprentices’ who will count towards the target, in the year in which they begin their apprenticeship.
Public bodies are required to complete the Apprenticeship Report on an annual basis to explain how they have had regard to the target, and include actions taken to increase apprenticeship usage.
Between 1 April 2020 and 31 March 2021, the number of new apprentices, including both new hires and existing employees who started an apprenticeship was just 1. The figure for 1 April 2021 and 31 March 2022 which is shown in this report has increased to 3.
The percentage of apprenticeship starts as a proportion of employment starts was 4.69% and the percentage of apprenticeship starts as a proportion of total headcount was 0.62% in 2021/22.
Longer term we need to ensure we have a clear strategy for how we attract new start apprentices where roles are built into workforce planning for the trust.
The data calculations relating to Castleford Academy Trust are provided below:
| A | Number of employees who were employed at 31 March 2021 | 484 |
| B | Number of employees who were employed at 31 March 2022 | 492 |
| C | Number of new employees who started working for Castleford Academy Trust between 1 April 2021 to 31 March 2022 | 64 |
Number of apprentices who work in Castleford Academy Trust
| D | Number of apprentices who were employed at 31 March 2021 | 1 |
| E | Number of apprentices who were employed at 31 March 2022 | 3 |
| F | Number of new apprentices who were employed between 1 April 2021 to 31 March 2022 (includes both new hires and existing employees who started an apprenticeship) | 3 |
Reporting percentages
| G | Percentage of apprenticeship starts (both new hires and existing employees who started an apprenticeship) as a proportion of employment starts between 1 April 2021 to 31 March 2022 | 4.69% |
| H | Percentage of total headcount that were apprentices on 31 March 2022 | 0.61% |
| I | Percentage of apprenticeship starts (both new hires and existing employees who started an apprenticeship) between 1 April 2021 to 31 March 2022 as a proportion of total headcount on 31 March 2021 | 0.62% |
This report will next be updated September 2023
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