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Grant funded employment schemes

Find government training and employment schemes

Free comparison tool

There's a range of government programmes available for employers who are considering hiring, offering work experience or upskilling there existing staff. This platform will helps you to understand what each scheme does, and how it adds value to your business. It's been designed to help businesses quickly compare what's available so that you can make more informed workforce development decisions.

Working Well East Midlands

This initiative can help businesses with recruiting new staff, supporting you in maintaining a healthy workforce as well as having the opportunity to give something back to the community and supporting our NHS. It’s a completely free services being delivered by East Midlands Chamber, in partnership with Standguide Ltd, Nottingham City Council, Nottinghamshire County Council and Derby City Council and is available to SMEs across Nottinghamshire.

Sector-based work academies

Prepare individuals who are in receipt of unemployment benefits to apply for jobs within different vocational areas. These academies are carefully designed to help employers meet their immediate and future recruitment needs by training candidates to gain the skills needed to add practical value to local businesses.

Levy transfer funds for Apprenticeships

Large businesses that have an annual salary bill of over £3 million will pay 0.5% into an apprenticeship levy. These businesses can either use the levy to recruit apprentices themselves, or they can transfer a portion of their levy to small or medium sized enterprises (SMEs). Our local college Vision West Notts College have their own apprenticeship service and also provide advice on the apprenticeship levy and transfers.

Apprenticeships - West Notts College

As an employer, not only can you get funding to support apprenticeship training, but there are often additional local incentives too.

With incentive schemes frequently changing, speak to West Notts College's apprenticeship team to get the latest information on funding opportunities.

Degree Level Apprenticeships – Enterprising Ashfield

As part of the Enterprising Ashfield project Nottingham Trent University will be working with local SME’s to support their talent needs. One effective way of injecting expertise into a business is through high level apprenticeships. This can help to alleviate some of the pressures that SMEs experience when looking to access apprenticeships by providing support with recruitment, facilitating levy transfers and providing free mentor training so SMEs can focus on their business objectives.

Traineeships

A government run scheme that provides work placements for 16 to 24 year-olds. It gives young people an opportunity to get some work experience in readiness for their first job after leaving school / college.

Trainee work placements must last at least 70 hours over 2 or more weeks. They usually last 240 hours. They can be up to 320 hours if your trainee gets benefits and you’re likely to offer them a job.

T Levels

T Levels are new 2 year courses which are taken after GCSEs and are broadly equivalent in size to 3 A Levels. Launched in September 2020, these courses have been developed in collaboration with employers and education providers so that the content meets the needs of industry and prepares students for entry into skilled employment, an apprenticeship or related technical study through further or higher education.

T Levels offer students practical and knowledge based learning at a school or college and on-the-job experience through an industry placement of at least 315 hours – approximately 45 days. T Levels are being gradually rolled out. The first 3 T Levels launched in September 2020, with a further 7 introduced in September 2021. In September 2022, an additional 6 T Levels will be launched, with the remaining 7 beginning in September 2023.

Graduate Placements – Enterprising Ashfield

SME's in Kirkby in Ashfield and Sutton in Ashfield can access 12-week graduate placements with a 50% grant of up to £2500 (this must be matched by the business). These short placements offer SME’s an excellent way to inject some much needed expertise into their businesses, without committing to long term employment.

University of Nottingham Graduates

Recruiting sharp minds can bring fresh thinking and insights for local businesses. University of Nottingham students are highly sought after by some of the world’s top companies, innovative start-ups, and third-sector organisations. Grants and project schemes are available to assist SMEs with working with local talent.

Page last updated: 8 December 2023