Government incentives for skills and jobs
Get the latest updates on the government incentives available for you and your business and BCS’s aligned activities and partnerships supporting the digital economy’s post-COVID recovery.
We’re working in collaboration with our partners and in line with government initiatives to build a diverse, inclusive pipeline of digital talent that accelerates our recovery, strengthens the economy and supports UK tech innovation for the years ahead.
What is the Government's Plan for Jobs?
The Plan for Jobs announced in 2020 was the first set of initiatives covering a wide range of financial incentives offered by the government to help get people into work and businesses back on their feet post-pandemic. Further initiatives have been announced since then and they all play a critical part in our economic recovery and securing the UK’s long-term prosperity.
Businesses without a digital model have particularly suffered during the pandemic. As we enter a transition period for employment and enterprise, it’s vital every business develops a digital strategy and everyone in society becomes equipped with digital skills for work and life.
Through their ongoing investments the government is funding programmes to help people gain experience and qualifications for finding work and progression - as well as initiatives and incentives for organisations to help them build the digital talent they need to grow and thrive into the future.
What government incentives are available to me?
Whether you’re an employer, employee, training provider or student, there’s funding for skills development and support available to access, enabling us all to contribute to a swift and strong recovery as the UK emerges from the global crisis.
Government incentives at a glance
We’ve created this handy guide giving you easy access to the key information concerning the investments and incentives available.
Check your eligibility, the programme duration and employer costs, then follow the useful links to get started.
Click below for a summary of the initiative and the funding available:
If you are an employer in England, you’ll receive a payment of £3,000 for every new apprentice you take on, regardless of their age - up until 31 January 2022.
There is an existing payment of £1,000 provided to new 16 to 18-year-old apprentices and those aged under 25 with an Education, Health and Care Plan, where that applies.
Explore the free resources available on the Amazing Apprenticeships website
Traineeships are courses for 16 to 24-year-olds designed to develop their workplace skills and vocational learning in preparation for employment or an apprenticeship.
Employers who provide work placements and training receive £1,000 per trainee from the government. The government is also improving provision and expanding eligibility for traineeships to young people with Level 3 qualifications and below.
Useful links:
Traineeship information for employers and education providers
This is a new scheme supporting 16 to 24-year-olds who are on Universal Credit and deemed at risk of long-term unemployment.
Employers receive funding for creating six-month, quality work placements. Funding covers 100% of the appropriate National Minimum Wage for 25 hours a week, plus associated employer National Insurance contributions and employer minimum automatic enrolment contributions.
T Levels are designed for 16 to 19-year-olds and offer an alternative to A levels, apprenticeships and other courses. Equivalent to three A levels, they combine 80% off-the-job learning and 20% work placement (the opposite to an apprenticeship) to develop broad vocational skills.
This route is ideal for young people who know the area they want to work in, but are unsure of the exact role and don’t yet feel ready to go into employment.
The government has pledged £101 million to support the 700,000 young people leaving education this year.
All 18 to 19-year-old school and college-leavers in England will have the opportunity to study targeted, high value level 2 and 3 courses when there are not employment opportunities available to them.
How can BCS support me?
Our partnerships and networks bring employers, training providers and educators together to support the community and optimise the opportunities available through the government’s incentives.
If you’re a training provider and you want to get involved, get in touch with us to find out about the funded learning you can deliver with BCS.
If you’re an employer looking to stimulate your recovery with help from the government initiatives, your first step is to understand your existing skills landscape and where the gaps are. From there you can identify the appropriate blend of support needed to upskill and / or source new talent.
BCS provides you with practical team development tools that enable you to do just this. Built around the SFIAplus framework, our skills audit platform RoleModelplus gives you absolute clarity around your digital capability and the action needed to achieve your business objectives.
Continuing the journey with BCS membership
Underpin your people development programme with BCS membership, providing career-long access to professional development services, support and opportunities for you and your team.
By signing up to the BCS code of conduct, every member confirms their commitment to professionalism and to working in the best interest of society. Together BCS members are shifting the perception of IT in the workplace. Today our profession has a strong, ethical voice, and practitioners are going further in their careers.
From apprentice to CIO, there’s a membership level to suit everyone in the industry - learn more about BCS membership.
Career advice
Visit our Digital Skills for Careers page for information about digital careers, qualifications and to hear inspiring stories.
Post-16 options
You’ll need to stay in some form of education or training until you are 18. There are many options available once you turn 16 - consider which best suit your strengths and areas of interest.
Post-18 options
When you reach 18, an even wider range of opportunities open up for you. What’s right for you will depend on your situation and the type of career you have in mind.
Skills Toolkit
This toolkit from the National Careers Service is made up of free online courses, tools and resources to help you strengthen your digital and numeracy skills.
Job help
These resources from Jobcentre Plus are designed to support your job search, including articles on boosting your skills, sharpening your CV and preparing for interview.
Careers advice
The National Careers Service supports your career decisions throughout your life, from choosing education and training at 16, to planning a career change at any age.
More resources
Video: Watch the apprenticeship panel event
Apprentices and industry experts joined the panel for this Plan for Jobs: Apprenticeships event, hosted by the chancellor, Rishi Sunak, and first streamed live in January 2021.
Article: Spring Budget March 2021 - apprenticeships, skills and training support
We take a closer look at the incentives announced in the Spring 2021 budget and explore how employers can benefit from the government’s support for training.
Webinar: Making sense of the 2021 budget, incentives and funding
In our March webinar, Simon Ashworth from the Association of Employment and Learning Providers, joined BCS’s Head of Apprenticeships, Annette Allmark, and Head of Education (Product), Zoe Spilberg, to discuss the government’s latest incentives and the aligned support from BCS.
Article: Diverse digital, the key to economic recovery!
BCS’s Director of Education, Julia Adamson highlights the importance of a diverse IT workforce and pipeline to help tackle a tough economic recovery and a shortage of digital skills post COVID-19.
