Over £1,000,000,000 unused in Apprenticeship Levy funds

The Open University found that organisations in England have withdrawn just £108 million of the £1.39 billion they’ve paid into the apprenticeship levy. 

The researchers warn that if employers continue to use the funding at the same rate, they risk losing as much as £139 million a month from April 2019, which could otherwise be used to build skills, attract and retain staff, and increase efficiency.  

David Willett, Corporate Director at The Open University, said that it is essential that employers in England get return on investment by embracing apprenticeships. “As an industry, we appreciate there have been some teething issues, but we’re here to help business leaders work through it and develop programmes that best fit their needs, allowing them to fill skills gaps and future-proof their organisations against the changing world around them,” he said.