PM pressed to address “inflexible” levy to boost creative industry apprenticeships

Peers have asked Prime Minister Boris Johnson to give Britain’s creative industries more help to provide high-quality apprenticeships for young people.

The Apprenticeship Levy, a tax on employers which can be used to fund apprenticeship training, is not working for trades including theatres, advertising, TV production and journalism, the House of Lords Communications and Digital Committee has said in a letter to the Prime Minister.

Businesses should be able to pool funds through industry training agencies, the committee says, and be allowed to spend some of the funds on apprentices’ wages or other costs of employing young people.

The committee said it was “encouraged” by the Prime Minister’s commitment to reform the apprenticeship levy in a speech last month, but wants to see more details of government proposals.

Lord Gilbert of Panteg, Chair of the Communications and Digital Committee, said:

“Our world-leading creative industries can offer young people highly rewarding jobs.

“However, the Apprenticeship Levy has so far failed to exploit these opportunities. Its inflexibility has made it difficult for small businesses and those running short-term projects to use the scheme.”