National Manufacturing Conference includes session on apprenticeship levy

The annual event – sponsored by asset finance provider, Lombard – brings together leading politicians, senior industrialists and manufacturing companies from across the UK to discuss the critical challenges ahead for industry. 

Delegates will be able to hear the latest information about the apprenticeship levy from leading officials responsible for managing its introduction. 

Civil Service directors, Susan Acland-Hood from the Treasury and David Hill from BIS and DfE, will join EEF’s employment policy expert, Tim Thomas, for a discussion and a question and answer session. This will cover what employers can expect and how the new system will work. 

Officials are also keen to hear from employers, training providers and others interested in apprenticeships about how to make the new system work in the best interests of all. 

Tim Thomas, head of employment policy at EEF, the manufacturers’ organisation, says: “There is some uncertainty about the apprenticeship levy. This session is a great opportunity for employers to hear directly from Treasury, BIS and the DfE about the change and its potential impact on them. More importantly, it opens up communication, giving companies a golden opportunity to make their voices, and feedback, directly heard.”

The apprenticeship levy session joins a line-up that includes panel debates on productivity, the EU referendum and global trade. Speakers include: Business Secretary, Sajid Javid, Tom Watson MP, Deputy Leader of the Labour Party, and entrepreneur Karren Brady.