KFC among employers accused of abusing Apprenticeship Levy

UK businesses are re-labelling many low-skilled jobs as apprenticeships, despite receiving subsidies for training.

A new report titled ‘The great training robbery’ by think thank Reform says many fast food giants, coffee shops and retailers are rebranding existing roles after the apprenticeship levy came into force.

The report found unscrupulous employers are taking advantage of this, with the intention of the levy being to deliver valuable training. "Some used this opportunity to generate high-quality standards, but others appear to be simply rebadging low-quality, low-skill and often low-wage roles as 'apprenticeships' instead,” the report read.

One example is KFC, who are advertising for apprentices in their hospitality team. The advert describes the apprenticeship as "a structured, learner and employer-focused development programme designed to create opportunities for lifelong knowledge, skills and behaviours".