London Councils are calling on the government to allow boroughs greater flexibility on how they use the apprenticeship levy to help with training. 

Between April 2021 and March 2022, £44.7 million was available to London boroughs through the apprenticeships levy, but under half of this was spent and according to the London 1000 Business Survey in 2022, 86% of businesses did not hire apprentices at all, with 25% citing administration time as the reason and 23% saying it was due to the management workload. 

London Councils, a cross-party organisation representing the 32 boroughs of London, believe that by giving councils greater flexibility with how they use their apprenticeship levy, it will result in a greater take up of apprenticeships. 

Mayor Rokhsana Fiaz, London Councils' Executive Member for Skills and Employment, said: "Apprenticeships open up amazing opportunities to Londoners from diverse communities and walks of life. 

"Boroughs are a driving force in championing apprenticeships as a fantastic way for young people to gain new skills as well as boosting industries with recruitment challenges – including London boroughs themselves. 

"Starting with this Apprenticeship Summit today, local leaders across the capital are taking action to shift the dial so that we boost the number of young Londoners starting apprenticeships with London boroughs and our supply chains. 

"Through greater collaboration, we hope to overcome the obstacles in our path and see the many rewards that come with investing in our young people. 

"It is also imperative that more is done to make it easier for employers to hire apprentices and help them realise their potential as they enter the workforce. 

"There is growing evidence that Government must work with employers to overhaul the apprenticeship levy so that more of it can be invested in upskilling Londoners for the jobs of today and tomorrow." 

Ruth Cadbury, MP for Isleworth and Brentford, also recently stated that she believed that changing the levy would result in improved skills training and take up of apprenticeships.