Transform Project
The Transform project has been delivered as a partnership between East Sussex County Council and SCTP since 2021, supporting East Sussex micro, small and medium-sized employers in priority sectors to access skills training for new and existing employees, including apprenticeships and apprenticeship levy transfer. It has been part-funded by the European Social Fund which ends in December 2023.
Given the hugely positive feedback from local employers and stakeholders, East Sussex County Council is keen to secure funding for a future service.
Transition arrangements from January – March 2024 have been put in place, offering a reduced service to support SMEs to access East Sussex County Council apprenticeship levy transfer and facilitate access to the Transform Toolkit which is a self-serve version of the current face-to-face service.
From 1st January 2024, all enquiries should be directed to Suzanne Green, Transform Project Manager at East Sussex County Council – TRANSFORM@eastsussex.gov.uk
The TRANSFORM Service includes the opportunity to speak to an apprenticeship and skills specialist, who will support employers to:
- identify skills gaps and provide impartial advice on appropriate apprenticeship and skills training programmes
- choose a provider
- apply for apprenticeship levy transfer to cover the full cost of apprenticeship training – and advise on available incentives
- set up and manage their employer’s Apprenticeship Service account
- introduction to the East Sussex County Council Apprenticeships Team who offer support with recruitment including vacancy marketing, recruitment process and sourcing candidates.
TRANSFORM will prioritise those employers in the following Skills East Sussex priority sectors:
- Construction and Civil Engineering
- Creative, Cultural, Digital and Media
- Engineering and Advanced Manufacturing
- Health and Social Care
- Visitor and Cultural Economy
- Land, Agriculture and Environmental
And additionally, the wider priorities of Education, Energy & Utilities, Finance and Professional, Scientific & Technical.
The TRANSFORM Service welcomes enquiries from employers across all sectors that are supporting potential apprentices with a recognised barrier to employment.
Businesses and organisations, interested in learning more about apprenticeships and skills training opportunities, from all sectors can access the TRANSFORM Online Toolkit here, apply for levy transfer here and those from priority sectors can contact TRANSFORM@eastsussex.gov.uk.
“The assistance and advice given by TRANSFORM has been invaluable. The guidance through the various processes has helped enormously. There are so many steps to take in order to make sure everything was done correctly. TRANSFORM has helped us navigate some unfamiliar business terrain and made sure that we have had everything in place to find an apprentice and run our business successfully. We have also been signposted to some really useful & relevant resources. We couldn’t be happier with the service & friendly advice given.”