Norwich City Football Club has helped push a countywide apprenticeships initiative beyond a £5m milestone by pledging unspent apprenticeship levy to support local employers. The contribution adds to growing backing for the Norfolk apprenticeship levy support scheme, which uses transferred levy funds to create new apprenticeship opportunities.
The Levy Support Scheme, delivered through Apprenticeships Norfolk, redistributes unused apprenticeship levy from larger organisations to businesses that may otherwise struggle to fund training. More than £5m has now been transferred following pledges from local and national organisations, including Norwich City, Norse Group and Synergy Multi-Academy Trust.
Norwich City recently committed £60,000 to the Norfolk apprenticeship levy support scheme. The funding will directly support apprenticeship starts across a range of sectors, helping employers reduce training costs and increase access to skilled roles.
By receiving a levy transfer, a business can save up to £1,350 in training fees per apprentice. Since April 2023, the scheme has supported more than 500 apprenticeship starts across over 220 local businesses and organisations.
Levy transfers arranged through the Norfolk apprenticeship levy support scheme have enabled apprenticeships in areas such as health and social care, engineering and manufacturing, and business and administration. Local charities and VCSE organisations have also benefited from the funding.
Lauren Blyth, Head of Corporate Social Responsibility at Norwich City, said: “As a club, we are proud to financially support the Levy Support Scheme, recognising our responsibility to contribute positively to the communities that support us.
“As a football club, we believe that it is part of our responsibility to support local businesses and organisations, as well as those individuals seeking to make their first steps in their career through an apprentice programme.”
The apprenticeship levy is paid by larger employers and can be used to fund apprenticeship training. Through levy transfers, organisations can pass on up to 50% of their annual levy funds to support apprenticeship starts at other businesses, covering training and assessment costs within approved funding bands.
Cllr Fabian Eagle, Cabinet Member for Economic Growth at Norfolk County Council, said: “It is an incredible achievement to have funded more than 500 apprenticeship starts through a scheme that is a win for both the employers and those they have taken on.
“Many organisations want to offer these opportunities but need financial support to do so, especially in the current financial climate, and the Levy Support Scheme fulfils that vital role.”
The Norfolk apprenticeship levy support scheme operates as a bespoke matching service, facilitated by Apprenticeships Norfolk. The programme now works in partnership with 38 businesses across the county, connecting levy-paying organisations with employers seeking to develop apprenticeship programmes.
