Liverpool FC, Matalan, Amazon and more generate £7m to create over 1,200 local apprenticeships

Mayor Steve Rotheram has thanked big businesses including Liverpool FC, Airbus, Matalan and QVC for transferring £7m to create over 1,200 apprenticeships across the Liverpool City Region.

Large employers are required to pay 0.5% of their wage bill towards an Apprenticeship Levy – collected by the government to fund local apprenticeships. Levy payers can spend their allocation on in-house apprentices or gift up to 50% to other organisations. Otherwise the money is lost to the area.

In May 2023, Mayor Steve Rotheram called on big firms to transfer unspent Levy via the Combined Authority Employer Brokerage Team to fund apprenticeships at smaller local businesses.

Liverpool Football Club is the largest contributor, transferring £596,500 of unused Levy to fund 120 new apprentices. Airbus contributions have created 99 training positions and Amazon has funded a further 64 roles. The Combined Authority is now working with 23 Levy employers as part of the initiative.

At a special event at Anfield Stadium, the Mayor praised Levy payers, trainers and apprentices – and called on others to do more to help fund training roles at smaller firms.

Mayor of the Liverpool City Region Steve Rotheram said:

“I am delighted that so many employers have stepped up to invest millions of pounds from unspent Levy funds into skills and training, which we always need more of. Funding new apprenticeships at smaller, local businesses, means that this initiative is equipping the next generation of workers with the skills they need to succeed, while contributing to the local economy.

“I’ve talked a lot about collaboration, and this is another fantastic example of what we can achieve when we work together. I’m proud that our partnerships have helped create over a thousand opportunities for local people to build brighter futures.”

Nationally, Levy funding is underspent by up to £4bn which, if left unspent, is recovered by government. The Liverpool City Region’s underspend is estimated to be in the hundreds of millions.

The Combined Authority Employer Brokerage Team is working with 23 Levy partners including Liverpool FC, Airbus UK, Amazon, BBC, TUI, Virgin Media, University of Liverpool, Liverpool John Moores University, Howdens, Matalan, QVC, E.on, and a number of local NHS Trusts, including Liverpool, Broadgreen, Alder Hey, Wirral.

Over the past six years more than 10,000 jobs and 7,000 apprenticeships have been created through initiatives such as the Mayor’s Young Person’s Guarantee and his award-winning UCAS-style apprenticeship and careers portal Be More.

For every £1 invested in apprenticeships the average return on investment is £27, meaning that the levy transfers facilitated so far have created a benefit of around £189m.

Matt Parish, CEO at LFC Foundation, said:

“Today’s event at Anfield demonstrated the real impact that donated Apprenticeship Levy funds have in creating jobs and training opportunities for local people, as well as the lasting positive effect on our great city region.

“It’s fantastic to see that the club is leading the way in terms of Levy donations, and by showcasing the various benefits it brings will ensure that more businesses engage and show their support.”

If you are interested in finding out more about how you can gift your Apprenticeship Levy funds or are looking to access a Levy transfer then please contact the Employer Brokerage Service at skillsbrokers@liverpoolcityregion-ca.gov.uk or register your details here.

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