News

Apprenticeship retention incentive initiative
Economy Minister Diane Dodds has announced employers will be offered £3,700 for every apprentice that they bring back from furlough and retain until they have completed their apprenticeship.

The scheme will begin on 1st November 2020, when the UK wide Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme ends. It offers up to £3,700 of support, per apprentice, to employers who return an apprentice from furlough and retain them until they have completed their apprenticeship.

Support will take the form of a £500 return payment followed by up to £2,000 for an employer who retains their apprentice for four months following their return from furlough. A final result payment of £1,200 will be made when the apprentice completes their qualification.

 
Apprenticeship recruitment incentive initiative
Additionally, £3,000 per apprentice will be available to employers for each new apprenticeship opportunity created between 1 April 2020 and 31 March 2021.

The Minister has allocated a total of £12.5million to fund an Apprenticeship Recruitment Incentive initiative to encourage and support employers to create apprenticeship opportunities for both new apprentices and apprentices who have been made redundant.

This will apply to all new apprenticeship opportunities created in the 1st April 2020 and 31st March 2021 period, and the payment will apply equally to employers of all sizes and in all sectors right across Northern Ireland.

More detailed information on the individual measures contained within the recovery package can be found below:

1) News story on the package of support available: www.nibusinessinfo.co.uk/content/coronavirus-apprenticeship-recovery-package

2) Apprenticeship Return, Retain and Result Scheme: www.nibusinessinfo.co.uk/content/coronavirus-apprenticeship-return-retain-result-scheme

3) Recruitment of New Apprenticeships: www.nibusinessinfo.co.uk/content/coronavirus-recruitment-new-apprenticeships