Leeds Anchors Network leads collaborative effort with focus on apprenticeships

This National Apprenticeship week, Leeds Anchors Network are shining the spotlight on their combined efforts towards degree apprenticeships and apprenticeships in the city.

With a shared commitment to empowering individuals, businesses and their staff through education and skills development, the Network is investing in both degree apprenticeships aimed at upskilling staff, and also traditional apprenticeships to bring new people into the organisations as well as providing necessary new skills across the city.

The latest figures (2021/22) show that Anchor organisations employed 328 degree apprentices across 11 of the Anchor organisations across a wide range of subjects including leadership and management, healthcare, digital and technology, business studies and engineering amongst others.

Apprenticeships continue to be vital to bridging the skills gap and creating good quality employment opportunities that boost productivity, with over 5,000 people of all ages starting an apprenticeship each year in Leeds.

A number of organisations within the network are apprenticeship levy payers, and use this money to not only fund degree apprenticeships for staff, but are also able to share up to 25% of their levy to other organisations, including SMEs to support them with upskilling staff and bridging skills gaps in the city .

Anchor organisations have successfully utilised their Apprenticeship Levy to support both existing staff development and progression as well as upskilling new starters to the organisations and between them have spent several million pounds on skills development with a number of Anchors also donating up to 25% share to other organisations in the city where skills gaps have been identified.

A number of the Anchor organisations provide the training for apprenticeships accessed throughout the year, with Leeds City College having trained over 5396 apprentices since 2020  through 189 standards and across 13 sector areas, and are currently recruiting for more in 2024.

Chair of the Leeds Anchor Network and VC of Leeds Beckett, Peter Slee said:

“Degree apprenticeships are a great example of how strong partnerships can take on new and different approaches to learning and make them work.  

“Making a success of degree apprenticeships takes commitment and dedication to partnership working from students, employer partners, and our many colleagues here at Leeds Beckett University. Degree Apprenticeships equip learners with the skills and knowledge the city needs across a growing number of professions.”  

For more information about the Leeds Anchors Network, and further case studies visit Leeds Anchors | Inclusive Growth Leeds

 Notes to editors:

The Leeds Anchor Network was formed in 2018 and brings together 14 of the city’s largest employers, including the council, NHS trusts, higher and further education, culture and utilities. They come together and focus on areas where they can make a difference for people as an employer, through procurement, through service delivery or as a civic partner.

The Apprenticeship Levy is a levy on large UK employers to fund new apprenticeships. The levy is charged at a rate of 0.5% of an employer’s pay bill and only paid on annual pay bills in excess of £3 million. For more details on the Apprenticeship Levy, please see: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/apprenticeship-levy/apprenticeship-levy