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info@bmf.org.uk www.bmf.org.uk
£3K cash bonus to boost merchant apprenticeships
BMF APPRENTICESHIPS PLUS is urging BMF members in England to take advantage of the Government’s temporary boost to apprenticeship funding, with incentive grants for employers increasing to £3,000 for apprentices of any age. The £3,000 grant will be paid to any employer hiring a new apprentice between 1 April and 30 September 2021.
The increase was announced in the Chancellor’s Budget Speech as one of the measures to boost job opportunities. Previously firms in England received £2,000 for each new apprentice under the age of 25 and £1,500 for those over 25. The new £3,000 cash grant is on top of the £1,000 age incentive already provided for new apprentices aged 16 to 18 which means that some employers could receive £4,000 in total.
Carmen Daley, Operations Manager at BMF Apprenticeships Plus said:
“This is fantastic time for BMF merchant and supplier members to recruit an apprentice. Our sector has remained busy throughout the current health crisis whilst others have, unfortunately, been forced to make redundancies. And with a new cohort of school and college leavers seeking their first jobs in a few months’ time, this really is a perfect time to use the BMF Apprenticeships Plus service to secure a new member of staff. The BMF Apprenticeships Plus service is designed to remove potential administrative hurdles and make it easy for BMF members to take on apprentices in any job role. They can even employ an apprentice on a member’s behalf and take responsibility for all associated administration.
New scheme links NHS heroes to discounts at builders’ merchants
THE BMF IS co-ordinating a new scheme to provide NHS workers with discounts at local builders’ merchants.
Launched 12 April 2021, ‘Builders’ Merchants Supporting The NHS,’ has been developed in recognition of the tireless support provided by healthcare staff throughout the Covid emergency. For the next six months, NHS Discounts will be offered by 33 BMF merchants who between them operate 1,225 branches throughout the country.
Each participating BMF member will offer their own discount deals, averaging a 10 per cent reduction on the standard price, to NHS workers presenting ID such as an NHS staff card.
The BMF has compiled a full list of participating members, together with an overview of the discount they each provide at
www.bmf.org.uk/nhs John Newcomb, BMF CEO,
said:
“Throughout the pandemic, our NHS workers have gone above and beyond the call of duty to support the health of the nation. As we start the return to ‘normality’, the merchant industry wanted to come together and thank them.
“Builders’ merchants taking part will offer be offering expert service as well as access to a wide range of home improvement products at discounted prices.” Kieran Griffin, MD at Travis
May 2021
www.buildersmerchantsjournal.net
Perkins, one of the participating merchants said:
“The pandemic has shown incredible examples of personal sacrifice, generosity and community spirit, and from the start, our colleagues played their part by donating building supplies and PPE to keep NHS workers safe. So we’re proud to take part in this BMF initiative and offer NHS workers a 10% dedicated discount when they buy from us as a small recognition and thank you to those who have been – and remain – on the front line caring for us and our families, for which we’re all so grateful.”
In this circumstance, the cash incentive will be passed back to the BMF member, offering the best of both worlds.” Carmen Daley added: “Employers can also claim the grant for existing employees. As long as they have worked in your business for less than six months, you will be able to switch them to an apprenticeship, which could be a good way to upskill your team and keep them engaged.” Although this grant is only available to employers in England, each of the Devolved Nations offers different incentive programmes to encourage apprenticeships.
For more information call Carmen Daley on 07496 370 224 or email carmen@
bmfapprenticeshipsplus.co.uk
New London plan in force
THE NEW LONDON Plan came into force last month that sets the overarching framework for how London will develop over the next 20 years. The Plan is a spatial development strategy, required by law, and produced by the London Mayor to set out planning & development policy regarding the use of land throughout the capital. The Plan identifies housing capacity and policies for Greater London as a whole, as well as for each London Borough. Housing targets for individual boroughs are the basis for councils to plan for housing growth in each authority.
The main points for BMF members are:
• identifying enough land to build 52,000 new homes per year with a target of 50% of all new homes to be genuinely affordable.
• adopting a threshold for affordable housing - schemes with at least 35% of such homes will be ‘fast tracked’ through planning permission - with those that do not met this threshold having to go through normal procedures - the aim being to encourage developers to increase the ratio of affordable housing in their projects.
• new buildings will have to be built to zero-carbon standards and larger projects developed in tune with circular economy principles - notably to minimise demolition waste and designed so buildings can be dismantled and materials be re-used at the end of the building’s life. How politicians will meet the huge need for housing in London is a major issue in the Mayoral Election that took place on Thursday, 6 May.
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