Public Sector

8 9
How will employers
use the levy?
Year-on-year predicted levy usage 75%-100%
50%
• All recruiters in the public sector (100%) see the
levy as an opportunity to earmark funds to train
existing staff and only half (50%) cited bringing
in new talent. The percentages in the general
survey were 75% and 74% respectively.
• All public sector employers (100%) cited
maximising L&D spend and supporting
workforce planning as important reasons for
capitalising on the levy – the highest across
all-sectors. However, social mobility and CSR
objectives were mentioned as key objectives for
a third (33%).
• Well over half of public sector employers are
targeting 16-18 and 19-25 year olds (57%
for each group), slightly above the all-sector
averages (47% and 55% respectively). But an
even larger proportion (71%) are aiming for
apprentices in the 50+ age group, almost double
the all-sector average of 37%.
• Only half of employers in the public sector (50%)
are planning to recoup most of the levy within
four years compared to three-fifths (60%) of all
employers. A third (33%) think they will manage
to use most of it in the allotted 24 months, which
is near the all-sector average (32%).
Analysis: Employers in the public sector are operating
under two conflicting constraints: on the one hand
they have a government target to convert 2.3% of
their workforce to apprenticeships, on the other they
are in most cases unable to increase headcount,
indeed many have had to cut the number of staff.
That inevitably means they will look to enlist a lot
of existing staff on apprenticeships, and as many of
them are older, it’s not surprising that seven in ten are
looking at programmes for the 50s.
0%
Year 1
Diversity initiative
CSR initiative - support local communities/supply
chain partners to develop talent
33% 33%
Year 2 Year 3 Year 4
Reasons to capitalise on the levy?
17%
33%
Professionalising and training existing workforce
Maximising L&D spend
Support workforce planning
100%
100%
100%
Talent development initiative
50%
Lateral recruitment initiative
17%
Social mobility initiative
33%
Government youth unemployment initiative
17%