Eastwood: Reforming apprenticeship tax should be priority for economy minister
![Sorcha Eastwood is the Alliance Party's economy spokesperson. Pic credit: Alliance Party](https://www.newsletter.co.uk/webimg/b25lY21zOmQ5MmQ4ZjBiLTYzNmYtNGEzMi04OGIyLTMwZjFkNTBhMWYzYzpiZjAzOTVmNy05ZDQxLTQ2NTYtODVhYi1hZDBlNjMwMmU1NmY=.jpg?crop=3:2,smart&trim=&width=640&quality=65&enable=upscale)
![Sorcha Eastwood is the Alliance Party's economy spokesperson. Pic credit: Alliance Party](/img/placeholder.png)
She was responding to Conor Murphy setting out his economic plans for Northern Ireland on Monday.
Ms Eastwood says the Apprenticeship Levy requires many employers to contribute 0.5% of their payroll towards apprenticeship funding, however, despite contributing to the levy, NI does not directly receive funding from it.
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Hide AdThe Lagan Valley MLA has said: "I welcome the Minister's commitment to improving skills and placing focus on apprenticeships, but without reform of the Apprenticeship Levy, large businesses continue to, essentially, pay a tax without seeing the benefit of funding going to apprenticeships and skills development here.
"It is estimated that NI employers contribute around £80m through the Levy, and those in construction are paying a levy twice. Given the challenging budgetary landscape, those are essential funds for apprenticeship development.
"With that in mind, I welcome the Minister agreeing to consider options around this, and ask him to go further still in developing our own ring-fenced skills fund.
"If we are serious about growing apprenticeship opportunities and prioritising them as a key economic driver, the levy must be reformed."
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