It’s official! Following George Osbourne’s Autumn Statement last week, it’s been confirmed that the Apprenticeship Levy will be introduced by April 2017.

We’re still unsure of the exact impact and what proportion of the funding will be dedicated to Welsh businesses and our economy, however George Osbourne has said spending on apprenticeships will be £2.5bn in England, with Wales receiving a fair share of the levy, so we definitely want to play a part in this new initiative.

As director of a leading training provider who specialises in apprenticeships for all levels and ages of employees and new recruits, and in array of sectors such as banking, insurance, IT, leadership and management, retail and trades, it is my job to make sure companies get return on investment for all apprenticeship activity.

According to a recent research document commissioned by the National Training Federation for Wales, the return on investment for every £1 spent on apprentices is £74.

We must also not underestimate the positive effects apprenticeships can have on employees; training is a great tool to motivate and energise people, which, in turn contributes to the future success of a business.

In September, Emma Walters, one of our apprentices and an insurance broker at Arthur J Gallagher, was chosen as Acorn Apprentice of the Year at the annual Chartered Insurance Institute of Cardiff awards for her commitment and progression whilst completing a Financial Services Apprenticeship – Insurance Pathway.

In addition to the accolade of winning this award, Emma’s apprenticeship success has been enjoyed by her employer, colleagues and customers; it not only improved her knowledge and experience within her field, but developed her confidence dramatically which allowed her to share best practices with fellow team members and deliver another level of customer service to her customers, making her a real asset to Arthur J Gallagher and its future growth.

Ultimately, it falls to your training provider to make sure the apprenticeships undertaken deliver results for the individual and company, and that’s why we design and deliver bespoke training opportunities to ensure return on investment for your business.