Large employers are being encouraged to register for an online apprenticeship support service before the launch of the apprenticeship levy on 6 April. The Department for Education and the Skills Funding Agency are encouraging large employers to sign up and register for the apprenticeship service, in readiness for the launch of the apprenticeship levy on 6 April 2017. The apprenticeship service is an online digital system (similar to online banking) that has been set up to support the levy. The levy will require employers, with a wage bill of over £3 m a year, to pay 0.5% of their wage bill into the apprenticeship service, to encourage them to invest into apprentices. The online service then allows those employers to financially manage their apprenticeship programme and help them to estimate their financial spend and recruit apprentices through their training providers.

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