BUSINESSES were given a taste of what to expect from apprenticeships.

Colchester Institute hosted an apprenticeship reform breakfast forum.

The idea was to inform employers of the upcoming changes to apprenticeships taking place this April and how this could impact their organisations.

Jackie Davies, head of business development at Colchester Institute, said: “It was fantastic to see so many local employers, including levy payers, join us to discuss the reforms.

"As the largest provider of apprenticeships in Essex we work with organisations of many different sizes, and the forum was a great opportunity for businesses to find out what it means for them.

"The various reforms in apprenticeship funding can be confusing, by hosting this event we have been able to provide clarity to our clients about how they will be affected and the services we can offer, including managing their apprenticeship funding for them.”

The Government is introducing changes to apprenticeship funding from April 6.

All businesses operating in the UK will need to pay the apprenticeship levy if they are an employer with a pay bill of more than £3 million each year.

These changes are designed to encourage new apprenticeships and support quality training by placing the control of apprenticeship funding into the hands of employers.

More information about the apprenticeship services is at www.colchester.ac.uk/apprenticeship-information-employers/