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Funded Training and Support

Clear guidance on apprenticeship and training funding for employers.

Talk to our Skills Specialists

Understanding what government funding employers can access for skills development can be complicated. We work closely with government and industry, so we’re ideally placed to help you navigate the available options.

What funding is currently available for apprenticeships?

Changes to the Growth and Skills Levy take effect from August 2026 but, until then, the following rules apply. Large employers with a payroll of more than £3 million pay the Growth and Skills Levy. You can use your funds (which include a 10% government top up) to train and assess your apprentices. If you have unused Levy funds, you can donate a percentage to other employers.

For smaller employers who don’t pay the Levy, the government pay at least 95% of the apprenticeship training costs.

Additional financial incentives are also available for employers that take on apprentices who meet certain criteria, such as being a young apprentice aged 16–19.

What’s changing with apprenticeship funding?

The Apprenticeship Levy became the Growth and Skills Levy in April 2026. This new Levy makes funding more flexible for employers, with the ability to use it across apprenticeships, foundation apprenticeships and new apprenticeship units that will support critical skills areas such as digital, advanced AI and engineering. The rules on how the funding will be split across the different training types are yet to be announced.

The government are streamlining their apprenticeship offer to maximise the amount of funding available for younger apprentices. This includes defunding apprenticeships that the government believe should be funded by the individual or employer.

From 1st September 2026, 16 standards will be defunded, with existing providers being given limits for apprenticeship starts in these areas until the defunding. This affects the following standards:

  • Chartered Manager
  • Cleaning Hygiene Operative
  • Coaching Professional
  • Custody and Detention Professional
  • Facilities Management Supervisor
  • Improvement Leader
  • Improvement Practitioner
  • Lead Practitioner in Adult Care
  • Learning and Skills Assessor
  • Learning and Skills Mentor
  • Operations Manager
  • Outdoor Learning Specialist
  • Professional Security Operative
  • Public Sector Compliance Investigator and Officer
  • Security First Line Manager
  • Team Leader

Government funding is no longer available for Level 7 apprenticeships for most learners aged 22+.

The following changes arising from the Autumn 2025 Budget will take effect from August 2026:

  • Increase in the co-investment requirements for large employers once their Levy funds run out, with employer contributions rising to 25%
  • Removal of the 10% government top up for large Levy-paying employers
  • Reduction of the Levy expiry window to 12 months (down from 24 months) for funds that enter the account from August 2026 onwards. Funds that enter the account up to 31st July 2026 will expire in 24 months.

It was announced in the Autumn 2025 Budget that the co-investment requirements are being removed for SMEs for all apprentices under the age of 25, meaning those apprenticeships will be fully funded by the government. This will take effect from August 2026.

What apprenticeship services are available for employers?

    Apprenticeship programmes

    End-point assessment (EPA) and apprenticeship assessment

    Consultancy services covering Levy optimisation and in-house apprenticeship delivery

Explore our apprenticeship services

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What other government funding can employers use?

Adult Skills Fund

The Adult Skills Fund (ASF) provides access for those aged 19+ to funded courses and qualifications across a variety of sectors. Eligibility depends on your employee’s age, earnings and existing qualification levels.

Within the ASF, there is also some funding available to create programmes that are bespoke to individual employers, under the Funding for Developing Innovative Provision allocation.

We can connect you with a local training provider who can advise you on ASF opportunities.

Talk to our Skills Specialists

Free Courses for Jobs

Part of the ASF, the Free Courses for Jobs funding enables anyone aged 19+ who earns below a set wage threshold (which varies regionally but is approx. £25,750 PA) or who is unemployed, to gain their first full Level 3 qualification from an approved list of priority skills programmes, or an approved Level 2 qualification in Construction, Engineering or Manufacturing.

Many local training providers have access to this funding and we can put you in touch with them.

Talk to our Skills Specialists

Skills Bootcamps

Skills Bootcamps offer flexible courses, up to 16 weeks in length, that are fully funded for new recruits and up to 90% funded for existing employees.

We can advise you on what’s available in your area and introduce you to a training provider.

Through City & Guilds Training, we can also help you to win funding so you can deliver Bootcamps in-house.

Talk to our Skills Specialists

Please note: all of the information above is specific to England. Funding and some of the funding rules such as eligibility and available programmes for the Adult Skills Fund, Free Courses for Jobs and Skills Bootcamps may be devolved to the regional mayoral/strategic combined authority – please talk to us if you’d like further guidance.