Released: 8 February 2023
West Sussex County Council has invested a total of £931,608 of apprenticeship funding since the introduction of the apprenticeship levy to support local business.
The funding has supported a total of 319 apprenticeships in West Sussex and £320,411 of the total amount was invested in the last financial year.
The County Council has paid the apprenticeship levy since 2017 when it was introduced, which means it has ringfenced funding to be used on apprenticeship training. As a levy-paying employer, the County Council can transfer up to 25% of their levy funding to support other organisations.
The levy funding also supports 349 members of staff from West Sussex County Council and West Sussex schools to undertake apprenticeship training to further develop themselves and the services they deliver.
West Sussex County Council employee, Curtis Searle, Level 3 Business Administrator in the Education and Skills Team, started his apprenticeship in March 2022. Curtis said: “For myself, the chance to earn while working has been a huge benefit.
“I have gained so many skills within such a short space of time and my manager is always looking for new opportunities for me and I really appreciate the support I get from working as part of a team.
“I would recommend an apprenticeship to anyone that wants to build their skills and get hands-on experience in an industry they are passionate about.”
Steve Waight, West Sussex County Council Cabinet Member for Support Services and Economic Development said: “Apprenticeships are a great way to earn while you learn and give opportunity to people of all ages and education levels to further develop themselves.
“I’m really pleased at how West Sussex County Council has been able to support so many local businesses with funding to train their staff and invest in our local economy.
“This is a good example of how we continue to help build a sustainable and prosperous economy across the county, one of the priorities of our strategic four-year plan.”
Businesses in West Sussex may be able to apply for levy transfer funding for new apprentices, for apprenticeships which will develop existing employees or in the situation where a new employee is part way through their apprenticeship training.
Find out more by visiting the Apprenticeship Transfer Levy section of our website.
