Latest news with #ApprenticeshipLevy
The Herald Scotland
07-07-2025
- Business
- The Herald Scotland
Labour reshapes the retail landscape, and not for the better
These measures are costing UK retailers £5 billion this year. Indeed, the cost of employing people in entry-level jobs has risen by over 10% for full-time and 13% for part-time workers, reducing future job availability. That will also lead to change, but not for the better. We estimate these increases will threaten 13,000 part-time jobs in Scottish retail over the next three years. Read more: This matters: flexible retail roles are a vital stepping stone for many, whether it's a first job out of school or a part-time role for those returning to the workforce or with caring responsibilities. Public policies which reduce job opportunities in retail and scupper the first rung back onto the career ladder for many fly in the face of the government's welfare reforms which aim to bring more people back into the workforce. The cumulative burden of public policy is weighing on the industry, holding back investment in skills and high streets. More is in the pipeline with the Employment Rights Bill and the new extended producer responsibility for packaging levy. Any further tax hikes in this autumn's UK Budget could make things trickier still. Furthermore, some of the challenges – such as sluggish growth – have frankly been added to by ministers themselves. Last summer government figures were keen to hammer home a message about the poor state of the public finances they had inherited, underestimating the negative impact that would have on consumer sentiment. Read more: Added to the government's own decisions are those outwith its control, including international instability and the more volatile economic policy choices of the US, which have enormous implications. To alleviate international tariffs UK ministers have moved swiftly and positively to conclude trade deals with the USA, EU, and India, which should help keep down prices for consumers. Sir Keir's government has sought to tackle many of the urgent economic issues facing the nation. In addition to the trade deals this can be seen in the consequential announcements on energy and transport infrastructure and planning. A long-standing issue for retailers has been the onerous business rates system. The business rate is at a 26-year high and has to be paid regardless of profitability. From the Exchequer's viewpoint it's a steady source of revenue even during turbulent economic times. Reform has therefore proven difficult. To the UK government's credit they've accepted the retail industry pays too much and plan a permanent rates reduction for England's shops, beginning in April. Read more: That said the government needs to sand down the roughest edges of the proposals, including the misbegotten notion that larger anchor stores should be saddled with a rates surcharge to help fund the changes. This would simply make high street rejuvenation more difficult. Meanwhile, whether Holyrood will cut retailers' rates bills remains unclear. Ministers are making good on their pledge to reform the Apprenticeship Levy. This is being rebranded as a growth and skills levy and retailers operating in England will be able to spend the receipts on a wider range of training for staff. That's good for retailers operating down south, including Scottish headquartered firms like Dobbies Garden Centres and Schuh. Unfortunately, here in Scotland the levy seems set to remain little more than a tax on employment, hampering retailers' investment in skills. Unlike counterparts down south, retailers here are unable to spend any of the £15 million they stump up annually for the levy. Ministers risk fumbling the chance of reform that benefits Scots employers too. A year into their term in office the Labour Government can point to some solid progress but with the key yardstick being economic growth, the jury is still out on whether they can deliver. David Lonsdale is director of the Scottish Retail Consortium.
Yahoo
10-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Cumbria Chamber urges Government to back business growth in spending review
Fresh calls have been made for the Government to prioritise business growth ahead. Cumbria Chamber of Commerce has joined the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) and chambers across the UK to urge the Government to put business growth at the centre of its spending plans. The call comes ahead of Wednesday's Comprehensive Spending Review, which will set out the Government's budget priorities. Suzanne Caldwell, managing director of Cumbria Chamber of Commerce, said: "Wednesday's Comprehensive Spending Review will impact the future shape of our economy for years. "So the Government can't afford to get this wrong. "At the end of the day it's businesses that create wealth and growth in our economy. "So fundamentally the Government needs to put more time, money and effort into supporting business. "That's a downpayment on our future prosperity." The chambers have outlined a series of recommendations under three themes: Get Britain Thriving, Get Britain Working, and Get Britain Trading. These calls focus on improved investment in infrastructure, people, and international trade. Recommendations include funding for transport and energy projects, better grid connectivity, long-term support for Project Gigabit, and practical help for SMEs to adopt artificial intelligence (AI). When it comes to getting Britain working, the chambers want more Apprenticeship Levy funding redirected to the Department for Education to boost training, and a broader Youth Guarantee for 18- to 24-year-olds. The chambers want more employers to be involved in skills planning by extending investment in Local Skills Improvement Plans and addressing gaps in training provision. On trade, the chambers are calling for investment in 'digital trade', better export support for SMEs, and a stronger pipeline of overseas investment. The recommendations were developed through consultation between the 51 chambers across the UK, the BCC, and the BCC's Business Council. They are also backed by research from the BCC's Insights Unit, which gathered feedback from more than 5,000 businesses on the biggest barriers to growth. Ms Caldwell said: "If the Government wants strong and consistent economic growth, it has to look at three key areas. "It must promote consistent investment in people, in infrastructure and in trade. "If it provides the support businesses need to thrive, in an increasingly competitive and protectionist global market, then the future can still be bright."
Yahoo
11-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Apprenticeships event taking place today at Saltaire's Victoria Hall
As part of National Apprenticeship Week 2025 (taking place this week), an apprenticeships event will take place today (Tuesday, February 11) at Victoria Hall, in Saltaire. The Apprenticeships Unlocked event will give people the opportunity to chat to employers about the apprenticeships they offer, and to find out more about what local colleges can offer in terms of apprenticeships. More information is available at Since the Apprenticeship Levy came into force in April 2017, Bradford Council has used apprenticeships to upskill staff and to employ new apprentices. More than 1,000 employees have received apprenticeship training in areas such as early years, health and social care, social work, digital marketing, project management, and business administration. The council's in-house training provider, Skills for Work, offers apprenticeships to the public; this service was most recently rated 'Good' by Ofsted, and the service claims to have a 100 per cent pass rate. Laura Liddon, who completed a level 5 Operations/Departmental Manager apprenticeship through Skills for Work, said: "The most rewarding part of my apprenticeship so far has been the chance to apply what I've learned in real-world situations and see the tangible impact of my work." Available apprenticeships can be viewed at
