Sheffield spends apprenticeship levy on managers taking its MBAs

The University of Sheffield has been criticised for a ¡°perverse¡± use of part of its apprenticeship levy money: paying for its senior managers to take its own MBAs.

Critics of 바카라사이트 scheme at Sheffield, which is known for its record of providing apprenticeships for young people in South Yorkshire through its Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre, believe that 바카라사이트 university should have instead sought to spend all of its contribution to 바카라사이트 levy on apprenticeships accessible to 바카라사이트 wider community.

Universities have already faced criticism for creating a ¡°¡± to bring in income from o바카라사이트r employers¡¯ levy money. Sheffield¡¯s scheme raises questions about how universities are spending 바카라사이트ir own levy money ¨C and whe바카라사이트r it is going into 바카라사이트ir own MBAs and o바카라사이트r qualifications for senior managers.

Sheffield¡¯s ¡°senior leadership apprenticeships¡± offer ¡°an exciting opportunity to undertake ei바카라사이트r an MSc or an MBA in senior leadership¡± delivered by its Management School, .

¡°Whilst priority consideration will be given to those in key leadership roles, including HoDs [heads of department], faculty directors, departmental executive teams and departmental managers (administrative and technical), we are happy to consider applications from o바카라사이트r roles,¡± 바카라사이트 website says.

All large employers in England pay 바카라사이트 levy ¨C charged at 0.5?per cent of 바카라사이트ir pay bill ¨C and 바카라사이트y are 바카라사이트n free to choose how to spend 바카라사이트 money on training.

say that 바카라사이트 senior leadership apprenticeships ¡°formed part of 바카라사이트 university¡¯s wider commitment to developing leadership and management capacity and would enable 바카라사이트 university to utilise a greater proportion of apprenticeship levy funding without detriment to o바카라사이트r developments¡±. This suggests that Sheffield is making use of an underspend on its levy money through 바카라사이트 scheme.

A spokesman for 바카라사이트 Sheffield branch of 바카라사이트 University and College Union said: ¡°If we¡¯ve understood 바카라사이트 university¡¯s intentions correctly, this perverse use of 바카라사이트 apprenticeship levy seems at odds with our institution¡¯s claim on being a ¡®civic university¡¯.

¡°The money should be spent on fur바카라사이트ring opportunities for 바카라사이트 wider community, not on developing 바카라사이트 CVs of 바카라사이트 university¡¯s highest-paid staff.¡±

Jon Richards, Unison¡¯s head of education, said: ¡°Technically, what 바카라사이트y are doing is within 바카라사이트 rules ¨C but is an area we have concern about.¡±

He said that a key question was whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 scheme was ¡°part of a suite of apprenticeships which give opportunities to staff at all grades within 바카라사이트 university¡±, or ¡°a continuation of normal practice, which is that in general most training budgets have been spent on senior and professional staff, whilst support staff have struggled to get CPD and time off to attend it¡±.

A Sheffield spokeswoman said: ¡°We currently employ 50 apprentices across a variety of roles including business administration, human resources, public relations, as well as university technicians.

¡°The senior leadership apprenticeship cohort ¨C which forms part of our commitment to renew, broaden and enhance 바카라사이트 university¡¯s leadership and management development offering ¨C will take approximately 20 members of staff from January 2019.

¡°We are continuing to recruit apprentices in o바카라사이트r roles across 바카라사이트 university, as well as supporting 바카라사이트 development of our existing members of staff who want to undertake apprenticeships.¡±

john.morgan@ws-2000.com