Co-op pledges £70m to create 7,000 apprenticeships by 2030

Co-op has pledged £70m to support 7,000 apprenticeships by 2030 through its Levy Share scheme, as apprenticeship starts in England continue to fall and skills shortages persist.

The initiative has already directed £40m of unused levy funds to organisations across the UK since 2021, matching more than 3,800 apprenticeships. 

Around two-thirds of these have been created in the most deprived communities, with a third in the care sector.

The scheme enables levy-paying employers to transfer unused funds to businesses, charities and community groups. Apprenticeships backed so far span audit, digital, rail engineering and early years education. 

The programme aims to improve access for underrepresented groups, reporting that 31% of supported apprentices identify as non-white British, 67% as female and 16% as having a disability.

Co-op launched Levy Share four years ago in response to falling apprenticeship starts, which have declined 31% since the introduction of the apprenticeship levy in 2017. The retailer pointed to recent estimates valuing apprenticeships at £25bn to the English economy.

Co-op is calling on Skills England to begin collecting socio-economic background data for apprentices, arguing that the absence of this information makes it difficult to know whether the system is widening access.

Claire Costello, chief people and inclusion officer, said: “We launched Co-op Levy Share to unlock unused levy funds and turn waste into opportunity. Four years on, alongside our contributing partners, we’ve already channelled £40m into thousands of life-changing apprenticeships, and today we’re going further, committing £70m to create 7,000 apprenticeships by 2030.

“But to truly drive social mobility, we need to measure who benefits. That’s why we’re calling on Skills England to start collecting SocioEconomic Background data for apprenticeships. Without it, the system risks leaving some groups behind.”