UK Screen’s Apprenticeship Levy Transfer Fund, known as the ALT Fund, has at least £150,000 available for apprenticeship training in small and medium sized visual effects, post-production and animation companies.
The UK Screen Alliance ALT Fund
UK Screen Alliance has launched its Apprenticeship Levy Transfer Fund, known as the ALT Fund. This pot which has at least £150,000 available for apprenticeship training in small and medium sized visual effects, post-production and animation companies.
The ALT fund covers 100% of apprentice training costs and works by asking large companies who pay the compulsory Apprenticeship Levy, to transfer contributions they haven’t been able to spend to smaller non-levy paying companies (with less than a £3 million payroll) who want to take on apprentices.
Donor companies, although not benefiting immediately, will benefit eventually from the improved pool of talent available in the industry in future. The aim is to increase the overall stock of trained competent people within our industry for the benefit of the whole industry. Already several large levy-paying companies have promised a portion of their unused levy contributions which would otherwise expire and be absorbed by HM Treasury.
UK Screen Alliance are pro-actively marketing the ALT Fund to non-levying paying employers to facilitate the introduction of willing levy transfer partners. The cash within the ALT fund is “virtual” money made up of pledges from donor companies. The actual funds flow via an internal re-allocation within the Government’s Digital Account Service which is agreed between the donor and recipient companies. The chosen approved training providers then pull this funding down directly on a monthly basis to fund the delivery of the training. Such transfers are allowed by the Government’s rules. UK Screen Alliance will be acting as a dating agency to match the donor companies to the recipients.
Non-levy paying companies can access this free training money for either new apprentices or very importantly, to up-skill existing employees. VFX houses, post production companies or animation studios could receive around £9,000 to fund apprenticeship training such as 2D Compositor, Assistant Technical Director or Post Production Technical Operator. A list of apprenticeships that can be 100% funded by the ALT scheme are below.
UK Screen Alliance charges levy recipients a small admin fee which is equivalent to 1% of the transfer to cover our costs for introducing willing transfer partners, but this fee is waived for UK Screen Alliance or Animation UK member companies. Donor companies pay no fee.
We are also now accepting requests from smaller companies willing to train apprentices who want to access the ALT fund. Please contact UK Screen Alliance for all the details
Apprenticeships available now that can be 100% funded by the ALT scheme:
- Junior 2D Artist (Visual Effects) – Level 4
- Assistant Technical Director (Visual Effects) – Level 4
- 3D VFX Artist (generalist) – Level 4
- Post Production Technical Operator – Level 4
- Junior Animator – Level 4
- Storyboard Artist – Level 7
- Broadcast and Media Systems Technician – Level 5
- Creative Industries Production Manager – Level 7
- Media Production Coordinator – Level 4
- Junior Content Producer – Level 3
- Broadcast Production Assistant – Level 3
- Broadcast & Media Systems Technical Operator – Level 3
- Team Leader – Level 3
- Business Administrator – Level 3
- Project Manager – Level 3
- Digital Marketer – Level 3
- Marketing Executive – Level 4
- PR Assistant – Level 4
- HR Support – Level 3
- Accounts assistant – Level 2 and Level 3
