What The Budget Means For Your Apprenticeship Training

This week's Budget revealed by Chancellor Rachel Reeves contained a number of measures to support businesses with specialist training through apprenticeships. Here are the main headlines.

EXTENDED SUPPORT FOR SMES

The Government has announced an extension to the apprenticeship support offer for small and medium-sized businesses – and it’s a huge win for brands investing in their people.

SMEs will now be able to access full funding for apprenticeship training when enrolling new or existing employees aged 16–24.

National Insurance relief still applies, meaning many SMEs could become cash-positive when upskilling new and existing employees.

It’s not yet confirmed whether this will go live immediately or from April 2026, but now is the perfect time to start the conversation and explore how apprenticeships can support skills growth in your team.

Our next cohorts begin in April 2026, so don't miss this opportunity to give your people funded, high-quality training through a proven development route.

GROWTH & SKILLS LEVY COMES IN FOR 2026

The current Apprenticeship Levy model will be replaced with the new Growth & Skills Levy which will allow businesses more flexibility to upskill their staff.

This change, for which business leaders have been campaigning for some time, will allow Levy funds to be spent on short courses.

Other changes to the Levy structure include shortening the expiry window for Levy funds from 24 months to just 12 months – making it even more crucial to work with a partner who can streamline the process for you.

We can help you to strategically plan how to use your funds for meaningful, targeted talent development and ensure none of your Levy goes to waste.

WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR YOU?

Your business can now enjoy more flexibility with your Levy spending, but you'll need to act fast to ensure you maximise the opportunities available within the expiry window.

Whether you're already offering apprenticeships to your workforce or looking to invest in apprenticeship training for the first time, we can help you understand your options and help you plan the most effective use of your funds.

Our specialist apprenticeship programmes for fashion, retail and beauty were rated Outstanding by Ofsted in our most recent inspection earlier this year, so you can rest assured that your business will be partnering with the experts in the field.

If you want to protect your Levy funds and find out how you can use your investment to upskill staff in areas such as Buying & Merchandising, Leadership & Management, Coaching, Sustainability, Data and Supply Chain, now is the time to act.