Apprenticeships Work is the Edge Foundation’s new campaign aimed at increasing apprenticeship opportunities within small businesses- helping to unlock potential and drive local economic growth.
SMEs make up 99.8% of UK businesses and 60% of jobs, playing a vital role in offering apprenticeships to young people, particularly outside major cities. However, since the introduction of the Apprenticeship Levy, the number of apprentices employed by SMEs has fallen by 17 percentage points.
The campaign calls on the Government to remove the barriers preventing SMEs from taking on apprentices, while highlighting the benefits of apprenticeships and showcasing the outstanding initiatives already making a difference.
“The decline in apprenticeships at SMEs may appear surprising given non-levy payers only pay up to 5 per cent of the cost of training apprentices they employ. However, this demonstrates that there are many other costs and barriers to employing an apprentice…This can be more challenging for SMEs than for larger employers with established HR functions.”
(Fabian Society 2025, Levying Up: How to Make the Growth and Skills Levy Work)
Alice Gardner, CEO at Edge Foundation, said:
“Expanding opportunities for young people through high-quality routes like apprenticeships has been at the heart of Edge’s mission for over twenty years. Young people are eager for these opportunities, and small businesses want to invest in fresh talent – but the system too often gets in the way. Apprenticeships Work is about changing that: creating the conditions where everyone benefits – more opportunities for young people, stronger growth for small businesses, and a real boost for our economy.”
At GMLPN, we are proud to have signed up for the Edge Foundation’s Apprenticeship Work Campaign, demonstrating our commitment to supporting apprenticeships and breaking down barriers for SMEs. Through this partnership, we may collaborate with the Edge Foundation and the Apprenticeship Work Campaign at our events, sharing insights through APPGs, campaigns, roundtables, conferences, and newsletters to highlight our case studies and support for SMEs.
Our focus will be on expanding support services for SMEs, helping them navigate recruitment and administrative processes, understand funding opportunities including levy transfers, and provide ongoing mentoring and guidance to apprentices. By working together, we aim to make apprenticeships more accessible and successful for businesses and talent alike.
