OPITO reaction to the National Audit Office report regarding apprenticeships in England

The report from the National Audit Office highlights the difficulties the operation of the Apprenticeship Levy in England has created for employers, with only 9% of available funds available to England-based companies drawn down to date. OPITO has consistently highlighted the bureaucracy associated with the Levy to the UK Government on behalf of the oil and gas industry.

The findings also reveal that the Levy has had a significant impact on the number of apprentices starting programmes in England with new starts dropping by 26% compared to the same period before the Levy was introduced.

We have already sought to engage with the UK Government on this issue and will continue to highlight this with them. It is critical that the apprenticeship system in England supports companies to deliver apprenticeships which will develop the skills that they need.