"The transition from the Apprenticeship Levy to a broader Skills Levy was meant to fund mid-career development and AI-ready upskilling, but many business leaders still treat apprenticeships as entry-level "CSR projects" - not strategic tools. Crispin Read, Founder of The Coders Guild, warns, "Businesses pay into a system designed to fund their own workforce development - and then do nothing with it. Some even ask employees to pay for the very skills their business depends on. It's unfair, inefficient, and a missed opportunity.""
"The rise of AI makes this oversight critical. Tools are already generating over 41% of new code in some contexts, yet UK staff are missing out on fully funded training. The whitepaper shows that AI-fluent apprentices deliver £18,000 net benefit per person - turning the Skills Levy into a "pre-paid engine" for business growth rather than a cost."
£3.3 billion in government training money remains unused by British businesses while many employees self-fund essential upskilling. UK employers train far fewer staff than many European rivals, and self-funded workers are more likely to quit, taking knowledge with them. The Apprenticeship Levy transitioned to a broader Skills Levy intended to finance mid-career and AI-ready development, but apprenticeships are still treated as entry-level CSR projects rather than strategic workforce tools. AI tools are already generating significant amounts of new code, and AI-fluent apprentices deliver substantial net benefits. Reclaiming unused funding and restructuring training could reduce inequality and boost competitiveness.
Read at London Business News | Londonlovesbusiness.com
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