Every year, millions in Apprenticeship Levy goes unused while small and medium sized employers struggle to access and fund the skills they need. In 2021, we set out to change that. Co-op Levy Share does something simple but powerful: it redirects unspent levy from employers who can’t use it to the SMEs and community organisations who can. Four years on, the results speak for themselves, and the next chapter needs more of us to lean in. From the start, we had two ambitions: use our levy to widen access to opportunity, especially for underrepresented groups, and bring like-minded employers together to target unspent levy where skills are most needed. That convening role matters. Alongside Co-op, major suppliers and employers such as Amazon, Greencore, Royal Mail, Direct Line and Pertemps have created a dependable pipeline of levy transfers that smaller organisations can plan around.
The impact is clear. We’ve supported more than 3,800 apprenticeships across sectors and regions. Three in ten apprentices are from non-White British backgrounds, two thirds are women, and nearly one in five declares a disability. These are people stepping into future proofed roles, earning portable qualifications and building confidence and pay. For SMEs, the benefits are just as real: higher productivity, better retention and the ability to take on new work. SMEs consistently tell us that apprenticeships are mission critical, but training costs and complexity can be a major barrier. Levy transfers remove that barrier entirely. They turn a theoretical pot of unused money into immediate, local opportunity. When levy is shared on purpose, it moves fast to the places that need it most.
We see the ripple effects across local economies. In logistics and warehousing, for example, large employers like GXO have helped smaller businesses around them access apprenticeships by signposting transfers and supporting first time apprentice employers through the process. The model is straightforward: big employers pledge; SMEs apply; talent grows. It’s cooperation in action, and it strengthens supply chains while creating better jobs in the communities we all rely on. And we’re backing our intent with investment. Co-op has committed to raise £70 million through its Levy Share to support 7,000 apprenticeships by 2030, focused on tackling skills shortages and boosting social mobility. That means deepening partnerships, prioritising in demand standards and removing barriers for underrepresented groups so talent, wherever it’s found, can progress.
This matters because the UK can’t afford a skills system that leaks value. Unused levy is a missed chance to boost productivity and open doors. SMEs are the backbone of our economy; apprenticeships are one of the most effective ways to build capability and employment; and the funding mechanism already exists. The job now is to direct it, simply, quickly and with purpose. There’s also a cultural point. Levy Share makes corporate responsibility tangible. It asks a simple question of every levy paying employer: if you can’t use all your levy, will you let it expire, or will you pool it to open doors for someone else? Those who have stepped up aren’t doing it for headlines; they’re doing it because it’s good business, good sense and the right thing to do.
We won’t reach 7,000 apprenticeships alone. If you’re a levy paying employer, pledge your unspent funds and help us target them where they’ll have the greatest impact.
If you’re an SME or community organisation, apply for a transfer and let us remove the cost barrier to training. If you’re a provider, partner with us to reach underrepresented talent and deliver programmes aligned to real world demand. No potential should go to waste. Levy that sits idle is a lost opportunity. Levy that’s shared on purpose becomes a new engineer, a qualified carer, a data technician, a logistics supervisor. It’s a pay rise, a promotion, a door opened. Stop wasting levy. Start building skills. And do it together.
Written by
Claire Costello, Chief People and Inclusion Officer at Co-op