Support to hire new talent

Connect to Work is a voluntary scheme to support those who need a little extra support in finding the right job back into meaningful employment. It will support up to 100,000 individuals with disabilities, long term health conditions or complex barriers across England & Wales to secure work.

Connect to Work is a key plank of the Government’s ‘Get Britain Working’ plan which aims to take a place-led approach to supporting people back to work. The Government has set a target of 80% of people to be in work by 2050.

Benefits to employers include:

Free recruitment
Access to motivated and diverse workforce
Up to 12 months post onboarding support for both parties.

Find out more about Connect to Work here.

Apprenticeships are an exciting option for both apprentice and employer.

You can employ apprentices at different levels, from school leavers and university graduates, to people who want to further their careers or change career direction completely.

You can hire someone new or upskill an existing employee.

As an employer, you can get funding from the government to help pay for apprenticeship training.

The benefits for your business

Hiring an apprentice is a productive and effective way to grow talent and develop a motivated, skilled and qualified workforce.

86% of employers said apprenticeships helped them develop skills relevant to their organisation
78% of employers said apprenticeships helped them improve productivity
74% of employers said apprenticeships helped them improve the quality of their product or service

Other benefits of working with apprentices include:

you can adapt their training according to the needs of your business
they’re motivated to learn new skills
you can expand and upskill your workforce

The UK apprenticeship system is undergoing its biggest reform since the introduction of the Apprenticeship Levy in 2017. From April 2026, the levy will transition into the Growth and Skills Levy, bringing new flexibility for employers while also introducing some important changes to how training is funded.

For both levy-paying organisations and SMEs, these reforms will affect how apprenticeships and other workforce training can be funded in the future.

What is the Growth and Skills Levy?

The Growth and Skills Levy replaces the current Apprenticeship Levy but keeps the same basic structure.

Large employers with a UK payroll over £3 million will still contribute 0.5% of their pay bill into a digital training account through HMRC. Employers will have more flexibility in how their levy funds can be used, rather than being limited solely to full apprenticeship programmes.

The aim of the reform is to make skills funding more responsive to employer needs and to help address skills shortages across the economy.

More flexible training options

One of the biggest changes is that levy funds (including transfer levy funds to SMEs) will be able to support shorter and more flexible training options, not just full apprenticeships.

These include:

Short courses or “apprenticeship units” that focus on specific skills. The first apprenticeship units are expected to focus on AI, digital, engineering and green infrastructure skills.
Modular training that can build towards a full apprenticeship over time
Foundation or entry-level programmes that help young people move into employment

These shorter training options are expected to launch from April 2026, allowing employers to address specific skills gaps without committing to a multi-year programme.

Changes to how levy funds work

There are also several practical changes to how levy funding will operate.

Key updates include:

Levy funds will expire after 12 months, rather than the current 24 months
The 10% government top-up to levy accounts will end
If levy funds are used up, employers will pay 25% co-investment towards training costs, with government covering the remaining 75%

These changes mean employers may need to plan their levy spending more actively to avoid losing unused funds.

Continued support for SMEs to access apprenticeships

Smaller employers who do not pay the levy will continue to benefit from government support for apprenticeships.

From August 2026, apprenticeship training for 16–24-year-olds in SMEs will be fully funded, removing the usual employer contribution.

This change aims to encourage more small businesses to recruit young apprentices and support early-career talent.

Major changes to Management Apprenticeships

Significant reforms to apprenticeship funding that will affect a number of leadership and management programmes have also been announced. These changes form part of wider plans to reshape the apprenticeship system and prioritise opportunities for younger people entering the workforce.

Apprenticeships that may lose funding include:

Level 3 Team Leader / Supervisor
Level 4 Lead Practitioner in Adult Care
Level 4 Learning & Skills Mentor
Level 5 Operations / Departmental Manager
Level 5 Coaching Professional
Level 6 Chartered Manager
Most Level 7 apprenticeships, including many senior leadership apprentices that are used to develop experienced managers

A wider focus on skills and economic growth

The Growth and Skills Levy forms part of a wider government investment of hundreds of millions of pounds in skills and training, designed to increase apprenticeship opportunities and support economic growth.

The reforms are also intended to help create tens of thousands of additional apprenticeship opportunities for young people and ensure training better aligns with employer demand.

What this means for employers

For employers across East Sussex and beyond, the changes create both new opportunities and new considerations.

Levy-paying employers may benefit from:

Greater flexibility to invest in shorter skills training
More options to address specific workforce skills gaps
New ways to build progression routes into apprenticeships

SMEs may benefit from:

Fully funded apprenticeships for younger learners
Increased support to recruit and develop early-career staff
Access to training funded through levy transfers or new skills programmes

The government has announced a number of new financial incentives to support businesses to employ and train young people that will be rolled out this year.

We will update this webpage with further detail once published by government

Hiring young talent brings fresh ideas and strengthens an employer’s workforce, enabling them to develop the skills needed to meet the demands of the future.

£1,000 additional payment for hiring apprentices aged 16 to 18 (19 to 24 with EHCP or care leavers). Paid in 2 equal instalments at day 90 and 1 year (or completion).
£2,000 foundation apprenticeship incentive for hiring apprentices aged 16 to 21 (22 to 24 for apprentices with an EHCP, care leavers, or prisoners and prison leavers). Paid in 3 equal instalments at day 90, day 242 and when apprentice progresses onto next apprenticeship.
£2,000 new SME hiring incentive (from October 2026) for hiring apprentices aged 16 to 24. Paid in 2 equal instalments at day 90 and day 365 (or completion).
£3,000 new Universal Credit hiring incentive (from June 2026) for hiring apprentice aged 18 to 24, if apprentice has been on Universal Credit for over 6 months. Paid in 2 instalments of roughly equal amount at month 1 and month 3 (to be confirmed).

The Universal Credit hiring incentive is paid directly to employers by the Department for Work and Pensions. For the other incentives and payments above, the apprenticeship training provider claims them on behalf of the employer and then passes them on.

Additional Benefits for hiring a young person

No employer National Insurance contributions for apprentices under 25
100% training costs covered for eligible* under-25s (non-levy)
£3,000 bursary available to care leavers under 25 starting an apprenticeship

Once available, employers will be able to receive the new incentives listed above in addition to existing payments and incentives that are currently available. These include:

£1,000 payment for each eligible apprentice under-25
£2,000 employer payment for foundation apprentice
£3,000 bursary available to care leavers under 25 starting an apprenticeship

If you’re interested in finding our more about how to take on an apprentice, our Transform Service offers free, impartial advice to navigate the system and identify the best type of apprenticeship for your business. Contact us now: TRANSFORM@eastsussex.gov.uk

Are you an SME looking to boost your workforce?

Get free, practical support to access skills training, apprenticeships, government incentives and even unspent Levy funds to cover apprenticeship training costs.

Discover how the TRANSFORM service can help your business grow — click here to find out more.

Skills Bootcamps are flexible courses of up to 16 weeks, designed and delivered in partnership with East Sussex County Council, local employers and training providers. Skills Bootcamps give people the opportunity to build in demand skills that employers are looking for to fast-track career changes or progression.

For businesses, it's a great low-cost way to connect with participants who are job-ready and have the skills your business needs to help your organisation evolve and grow.

Find out more about Skills Bootcamps here.

ESTAR identifies, develops, and delivers resources, support and opportunities to narrow employment gaps.

ESTAR Projects offer short term interventions for marginalised or vulnerable groups of people with low level needs. ESTAR prioritise support for:

Refugees / migrants
Ukrainian guests
People experiencing or at risk of homelessness (but NOT street homeless)
People on low income

Find out more about ESTAR here

A ‘Supported Employment Pathway’ is an inclusive route for learners with additional needs. They offer support during transition onto vocational pathways or into meaningful paid work.

Supported employment programmes allow people to develop transferable skills and experiences.

Job Coaches are assigned when candidates start training or apprenticeships, providing individualised and ongoing support.

The Supported Employment model has a long-standing track record of success, fostering meaningful partnerships between businesses and supported employees that deliver lasting benefits for both

Little Gate Supported Employment supports people with learning disabilities into paid employment, apprenticeships, and work experience.

Find out more here or contact the employer engagement team on 01797 260580.

Parchment Trust offer person-centred support to open up the world of work and employment to members attending any of the Parchment Trust’s services.

Find out more here or contact the team info@parchment-trust.org.uk / 01424 755800

Training and resources for employers can also be found here

Jobcentre Plus has a range of recruitment services that can help you as an employer:

recruitment advice, including support with your vacancies
help setting up work trials to give you the opportunity to try out potential recruits
advice about offering work experience and apprenticeships, including using the sector-based work academy programme
support if you employ someone with a disability (Access to Work)
advice and guidance on employing someone with a disability or health condition

You can also advertise a job with the ‘Find a job’ service (previously Universal Jobmatch).

To find out more see Link to DWP Recruitment EA Flyer or email eastsussex.ea@dwp.gov.uk

The sector-based work academy programme is a Jobcentre Plus employment scheme. It can help you fill your vacancies more effectively by providing training, work experience and a guaranteed job interview.

For more information contact

The Career Transition Partnership (CTP) is the official resettlement service for the Armed Forces. It provides comprehensive personal support for Service leavers who are transitioning from their military career into civilian employment, further education or retirement.

The CTP offers employers fully funded recruitment support to help business hire from over 14,000 individuals leaving the Armed Forces through CTP each year.

The CTP is delivered by Reed in Partnership you can find out more about the service here.

CITB new entrant support team offer advice and grants to construction companies wanting to take on an apprentice.

Find out more here - New Entrant Support Team - CITB