How the Apprenticeship Levy can address the UK skills gap

Natalie Henderson, apprenticeship manager describes how EMCOR UK is transforming careers internally and throughout our supply chain with the Apprenticeship Levy.

At EMCOR UK, nurturing and developing talent across our supply chain is a top priority. This is critical when the UK is facing a significant skills gap; the country reportedly needs 124,000 new engineers and technicians each year to meet demand, and a projected 20 per cent of the UK workforce will be under skilled for their jobs by 2030.

That is why we have pledged £207,000 this year in Apprenticeship Levy transfers to support growth across engineering services, charitable organisations, council services, and early years.

As the Apprenticeship Manager at EMCOR UK, I work with stakeholders across our supply chain to invest in, train, and develop our workforce.  Beyond our levy transfers, our own apprentices and our new Health and Safety Academy create new pathways for our employees to achieve excellence. 

What is the Apprenticeship Levy?  

The Apprenticeship Levy is a UK Government initiative that is a pot paid into by large employers that have a pay bill of over £3 million. Two per cent of employers pay the levy at a rate of 0.5 per cent of an employer’s annual bill. All employers that pay into the levy can access the funds to spend on the apprenticeship training.

Bigger businesses pay the levy, and the money it generates funds apprenticeship training for other employers to take on apprentices. Those smaller employers pay just five per cent of the cost of the apprenticeship training, with the Government paying for the rest.

Apprenticeship Levy transfers allow the large employers paying the levy to share a portion of its funds with other businesses. Levy transferring is essential for organisations in our network, including our charity partner Access Community Trust (ACT), which provides critical homelessness support across East Anglia.

Steve Thomson, account director on our British Sugar contract, leads on our partnership with ACT and has helped develop local employment opportunities and created a safe community café space in Kings Lynn, which led to the employment of two people. Over the last two years we have supported ACT by accessing the apprenticeship levy funds to support with upskilling their existing staff in leadership programmes.

Our collaborative approach

As with everything in our business, our apprenticeship approach is deeply collaborative. Through our head of social value, Roy Ramrutton, we work with employers across our supply chain to understand exactly what funding they need and how they will use it.

Team line managers also help determine who in their employment would benefit from apprenticeships. For employees working in single person cover positions, taking someone out of service to learn can be difficult. Our team and supply chain partner line managers work together to understand their capacity and determine whether employees can be released one day a week for learning.

We have worked closely with ACT throughout this process, offering advice and guidance on the leadership programs to ensure organisational goals are met. Our support also extended to identifying and introducing a suitable training provider and assisted ACT in setting up their account on the Apprenticeship Service and facilitated the request for levy funds.

The apprentices throughout our supply chain

For many organisations, navigating the apprenticeship process can be complex and confusing. Having partnered with ACT for two years to support the development of their colleagues, we took the opportunity during National Apprenticeship Week to share our knowledge more widely.

We hosted a series of educational webinars attended by approximately 120 of our supply chain partners, designed to demystify levy transfers and highlight the tangible benefits they can offer. ACT also shared firsthand insights on how apprenticeships and levy transfers have positively impacted their organisation, providing valuable real-world perspectives.

As a result, we now have a total of £207,000 secured for transferring in 2025. These support training across several qualifications, including:

• Plumbing and domestic heating technician
• Fire emergency and security systems technician 
• Operations manager

Within EMCOR UK, we have 123 people currently undergoing an apprenticeship. Of these, 60 per cent are under the apprenticeship as part of their Continuing Professional Development (CPD) training, and the rest are fresh talent we have recruited into the industry.

This includes 64 individuals doing trade apprenticeships for electrical, engineering and plumbing accreditations. 59 are advancing through professional or facilities management qualifications.

Pioneering excellence with our Health and Safety Academy

One extension of our apprenticeship work is through our new Health and Safety Academy, developed after our 2024 Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) win.

We were awarded the Sir George Earle Trophy by RoSPA, a coveted achievement that is the oldest and most prestigious award offered by the organisation, selected from the highest-performing Industry Sector Award winners.

We have worked in partnership with RoSPA to develop the EMCOR UK Health and Safety Academy in January 2025. This new development pathway offers successful apprentices the opportunity to be sponsored through the RoSPA NEBOSH certificate, alongside their ongoing training.

Apprentices were incredibly strong contenders, exemplifying exceptional talent and enthusiasm. After several apprentices applied and were interviewed by a panel of senior leaders and a RoSPA representative, three apprentices secured a place.

Together, they form part of the Safety, Quality and Risk Community of Practice and will attend health and safety meetings across the business. Through their new training, these apprenticeships will be instrumental in guiding our health and safety policies business-wide.

Transforming talent development

Internally and throughout our supply chain, these apprenticeship opportunities offer proven pathways to success. With skills shortages affecting industries across the UK, providing new ways for employees to advance creates opportunities that would otherwise remain out of reach.

Explore what apprenticeships we have available on our vacancies page, and learn more about the solutions we provide across facilities management and the expert services we offer.