Apprenticeships | Growth and Skills Levy: New Employer Guide to Apprenticeship Changes 2026

This year the UK apprenticeship system has been reformed, introducing the new Growth and Skills Levy. The new system offers a range of benefits for employers including flexibility and scope to fund short, targeted ‘modular’ training programmes to fill specific skills gaps.

The Growth and Skills Levy is a UK tax on large employers which is used to fund apprenticeship training. It is payable by all organisations with an annual pay bill of more than £3 million. Funding is available for new and existing employees, and the training must be delivered by an approved training provider.

Key Apprenticeship Changes 2026

• Department for Work and Pensions took over from the Department for Education in April 2026.

• Defunding of a number of standards took place in April 2026

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