Charley Haigh’s Post

A Little Reflection After Labor Day As we return from Labor Day and enter the final months of the year, many of us find ourselves in a reflective mode. Whether we're starting new projects or conducting those crucial year-end audits, it's a time to evaluate what we've accomplished in 2024. From budgets and revenue to website analytics and social media metrics, like LinkedIn, this is the season to take a step back and review our progress. While we aim to keep things straightforward without overcomplicating our plans, we ensure compliance, meet our goals, and continue to deliver professional services. It’s okay to stop something that’s not working or that doesn’t bring you fulfillment. Perhaps this is the time to consider integrating AI into your platform, something I’m particularly excited about expanding for Aha! Workforce Education Solutions LLC Continuing our journey as part of the DOL initiative has been a remarkable experience, and we will keep pushing forward. However, we’ll be more selective about who we partner with. This fall, we're excited to onboard two new apprentices, adding fresh perspectives to our team. Taking a step back to assess what’s working and what isn’t can be daunting. But remember, if something isn’t working out, it’s your dream—fix it and keep pushing forward. The world is too vast to abandon your aspirations. We all have a role to play, and the world needs us. So let’s keep working hard, and remember, when things aren’t going your way, sometimes it’s essential to check ourselves before the situation checks us. Daisy Soler (DIS) Iliana Sutton

Thinking about hiring an Apprentice? From next April, significant changes to National Insurance contributions could make it more affordable for businesses to invest in young talent. With reductions to the Secondary Threshold and an increase in the Employment Allowance, organisations hiring Apprentices under 25 can benefit from lower costs while supporting the next generation of skilled workers. If you want to know how these changes could benefit your business, read our latest article using the link below. https://buff.ly/4fJoXKI

ANZ Money Minded Session for Apprentices On Friday 24th May 2024, I conducted Money Minded / Financial Literacy program for ANZ's apprentices. As they say, the best period to start saving and become financially independent is NOW. With 41 "eager young minds" attending the session on a cloudy Friday afternoon, not knowing what to expect - it was a pleasure to introduce them to ANZ's purpose, importance of saving and giving them live examples of how financial freedom has made people thrive. It was fascinating to see them write their GOALS and present them. It was a cheerful banter when we discussed "how can we prepare for the future?" and an eye opener when they had do an activity on self-awareness. The importance of having goals in life, setting the right priorities and making the right choices in the current world resonated with the apprentices. At the end, I was confident that they took away the learnings and will make positive changes in their life and THRIVE ! 

I've been a millionaire's apprentice since November 2023, as I've told you. It's time for me to start to get remunerated for what I'm worth! Money is just a tool but a sure indicator of value. I'm worth so much more than an hourly rate! My post-graduate qualifications alone - 6 years of full-time study - are worthy of more money to exchange my skill, wisdom and savvy. Here's an inspiring quote: "Time is not money. Time is the space where money is earned and measured. Wealth-minded people aim to maximise how much value they create and minimise the time it takes to create that value." Hendrith Vanton Smith Jr. So I want to commend more money for less time spent. I need to control how much I give out and command higher fees. Value? What are your values? Are you willing to settle for an hourly rate for what you put your heart into? As an apprentice Millionaire, I'm learning the staggering truth about life, work, and wealth. Michael Cheney is still taking on new apprentices, but not many, so this is the chance of a lifetime! Please comment below if you want to know more, and I'll lead you to the fast lane!

Well as the country settles down following this week’s Budget, employers are still reeling from the increases in costs for employers NI and NMW/NLW rates. One short straw to grasp, is for employers to remember that the rate of employer’s NI for those under 21 or under 25 and on a formal apprenticeship scheme (earning under £50,270) then the employer’s NI rate is 0%. This was brought in back in 2016 to boost workforce development and encourage investment in young talent. Hiring an apprentice at an annual salary of £25,000 can yield National Insurance savings of roughly £3,000 per year. This change offers a substantial financial incentive for companies looking to support their business while developing a skilled workforce. As I say it is a short straw, but it might be worth employers looking at their workforce strategy. PKF-Francis Clark Chartered accountants & business advisers #francisclarklife

Securing the Future From Protection to Wealth Accumulation Starting with medical coverage for my client entire family, I ensured that every member would have the care they need. As the main breadwinner, my client wanted to make sure her beneficiaries would be protected if anything happened to her, so we addressed gaps in her portfolio and provided a comprehensive safety net. Once we fortified her protection, I shifted my focus to her retirement timeline. Our goal was to ensure that at different stages of her life—60s, 65s, and 70s—there would still be a steady flow of income. This is crucial as medical costs continue to rise, and it's essential to be prepared for those expenses. An exciting part of my journey was planning for her daughter, who is currently in her internship. I helped her secure her first insurance plan and set up a disciplined savings strategy for her future goals. From protection to wealth accumulation for the family, it's all about creating a secure and prosperous future! Have a lovely mid week ahead guys! #midweek #financialconsultant

The chancellor recently announced that the employer’s national insurance rate would increase to 15% for 2025/2026. This means that many businesses, including micro businesses with only one director on the payroll, are facing increased costs to pay salaries. Many small businesses have been helped by the increased employment allowance to £10,500. Sole-director/employee businesses are currently ineligible for the employment allowance, but they would become eligible if they employed their first team member. One of the cheaper and most impactful ways to do this could be to employ a local apprentice. Read our short guide to find out whether an apprenticeship might work for you.

Last week we held the second meeting of the OECD-OCDE City network on jobs and skills which brought together more than 25 representatives from cities across Europe and the US. The discussion focused on how to enhance the effectiveness of local skills partnerships through employer engagement. ⁉️Why is employer engagement crucial for the success of local partnerships? 🔀 To reduce skills mismatch 📚 To increase learning opportunities in firms, including SMEs 👦 To make the school-to-work of youth transition smoother ⁉️What can cities do to make partnerships work? 🤝 Forge cooperation among stakeholders and help them identify common goals 👷♂️ Tailor programmes to employer needs 🏫🏭Work with employers to make VET programmes more attractive 🕵️ Explore the opportunity to set up a board to guide local skill systems Many thanks to all participants who contributed to a lively discussion, and to JPMorgan Chase & Co. for their continued support to enable these exchanges between cities. Look forward to our next meeting! Kristine Langenbucher Tilde Ussing Lucas Leblanc Alexandra Ingvarsson Bérénice van Cutsem Luisa De Simone Javier Sanchez Garcia Lucia Scopelliti Greater New Orleans, Inc. – GNO, Inc. Elisabet Pallarés Laure Farret Peter Pappas, PMP, CCMP 📆 To learn more about this topic, join us for Session 6 “Business as usual? A spotlight on the role of employers in local skills systems” at the OECD Local Skills Week 2024: Talent for the Twin Transitions from 14.30 to 15.45 CEST on Wednesday 26 June 2024. 📣Check the full programme of Local Kills Week: https://lnkd.in/eWKE2rSk

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