British co-operative group Co-op has committed £70m ($91.7m) to create 7,000 apprenticeships by 2030 through its Levy Share service, aiming to address skills shortages across the UK.  

The commitment comes against a backdrop of falling apprenticeship numbers, with the retailer pointing to a 31% drop in apprenticeship starts since the introduction of the apprenticeship levy in 2017. 

Since launching its Levy Share model in 2021, Co-op has already channelled £40m into training, supporting more than 3,800 matched apprenticeships.  

The organisation reports that the scheme is reaching groups often underrepresented in workplace training. 31% of participants identify as non-white British, 67% as female and 16% as having a disability.  

Around two-thirds of placements have been created in the country's most deprived communities, with roughly one-third in the care sector. 

Levy share allows employers to divert unused apprenticeship levy contributions to other organisations, such as small and medium-sized businesses, charities and community bodies, to pay for training and assessment.  

This approach is helping to ease shortages in occupations including rail engineering, early years education and digital roles. 

Cited examples include William Hare Group, which has used Levy Share transfers to bring on 42 apprentices across 2023/24 and 2024/25, and the North Tyneside Voluntary Organisations Development Agency, which has applied the funds to develop junior managers. 

Co-op also pointed to wider economic benefits, stating that apprenticeships now add £25bn to England’s economy.  

It urged Skills England to begin gathering socio-economic background data to better understand who is benefiting from apprenticeship schemes. 

Large employers may transfer up to 50% of their annual levy, with unspent funds expiring after 24 months and returning to the Treasury. 

Businesses that have already pledged to back Co-op’s Levy Share initiative include Amazon, JD Sports, Mitie, HH Global and The Growth Company. 

Co-op chief people and inclusion officer Claire Costello stated: “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.”