Carl Lomas IOC was at the Coventry conf to talk Express sector as secretary to the Express trailblazer group, rich in employers from City Sprint to UK Mail. Royal Mail will be one of the largest levy payers in the UK. ‘Express standard at level two covers walking delivery to trolley, bike and van and will support the exploding numbers of home delivery workforce evolving in the UK. Express ready at level 2, EOI at 3&4 and work to a degree apprenticeship with Univ of Derby and West London. Covering the logistics hot spots of East Midlands and Heathrow. Lomas, ‘Express employers want a one-stop shop, geographic and all levels for a new workforce in home delivery. It’s a stream of logistics with its own pathway’ ‘Express has no supply chain purchase, no storage and fork trucks, it's about sortation and delivery. It's not B2B, it's home delivery and it's re-timed outside conventional night haulage. Lomas talked about employers commitment to use their levy before competitors spent it, a sector in need of a new generation workforce as the numbers evolved with new jobs and strong vocational fit to apprenticeships at all levels.’

SFA Deputy Director, Una Bennett talked trailblazer for employers. ‘Levy not spent within 18 months, your competitors will get it.’ ‘Theresa May remains committed to 3 million apprenticeships and the levy.’ ‘April 6th 2017, HMRC will start collecting levy from employers.’ ‘We await new ministers to complete the details. Funding will move to the financial year aligned to HMRC levy collection.’ ‘SFA will have direct contracts with providers for SMEs below the three million pound levy shelf.’ ‘None levy payers will be expected to contribute, the contributions or none levy SMEs will be set at favourable levels.

Photo Carl Lomas, Express Trailblazer sec with SFA Deputy Director Una Bennett

Mark Dawe AELP boss,  'There are no definites, rumour of nine pounds for one for SME none levy payers, small SMEs maybe even more! Rumour that training may even be free for very small companies. The three million apprentice target remains, challenges will be in funding. One candidate may even be funded differently to another. Some big employers will be desperate to spend levy from their budgets and others may be very keen to achieve maximum numbers of apprentices for their money. '