Sunak to use budget to expand apprenticeships in England

LONDON (Reuters) - British finance minister Rishi Sunak will announce more funding for apprenticeships in England when he unveils his budget next week, the government said on Friday.

Employers taking part in the Apprenticeship Initiative Scheme will from April 1 receive 3,000 pounds ($4,179) for each apprentice hired, regardless of age - an increase on current grants of between 1,500 and 2,000 pounds depending on age.

The scheme will extended by six months until the end of September, the finance ministry said.

Sunak will also announce an extra 126 million pounds for traineeships for up to 43,000 placements.

Sunak's March 3 budget will likely include a new round of spending to prop up the economy during what he hopes will be the last phase of lockdown, but he will also probably signal tax rises ahead to plug the huge hole in the public finances.

Sunak is also expected to announce a "flexi-job" apprenticeship scheme, whereby apprentices can join an agency and work for multiple employers in one sector, the finance ministry said.

"We know there's more to do and it's vital this continues throughout the next stage of our recovery, which is why I'm boosting support for these programmes, helping jobseekers and employers alike," Sunak said in a statement.

(Reporting by Andy Bruce, editing by David Milliken)