The Skills Funding Agency has opened a register of Apprenticeship training providers. Any providers looking to deliver Apprenticeships from May 2017, including those already on the Register of Training Organisations, are required to successfully complete the process before the register closes at 5pm on 25 November 2016.

According to the Skills Funding Agency, from May 2017, levied employers will be able to choose a provider from the new register. By introducing higher quality requirements for providers, the Agency aims to improve the quality of the offer available to employers. The register will give employers a level of assurance that the providers they are using have the capacity and capability to deliver good quality Apprenticeship training.

There are three application routes to the register of Apprenticeship training providers, which vary depending on how the provider wishes to operate. The Skills Funding Agency has published a range of documents relating to Apprenticeships, including guidance on how to apply to the register and draft funding rules for various types of providers. Guidance and full details are available at www.gov.uk/government/collections/register-of-apprenticeship-training-providers