One of the most common criticisms of politicians and policymakers is that they keep chopping and changing between different policies, making it hard for any idea or approach to build momentum and recognition among those it is trying to reach. 

On that basis, perhaps we should be glad that the apprenticeship levy – which was introduced in 2017 – is still very much alive and kicking as it celebrates its fifth birthday on April 6th 2022. 

The levy is, in effect, a payroll tax of 0.5 per cent for any UK employer with an annual wage bill of over £3 million. Simple as this sounds, the apprenticeship levy has been a source of heated debate and discussion ever since it was devised. 

So what have we learned from the first five years of the apprenticeship levy? Who seems to have benefitted from the levy, and did anyone lose out? And how easy is it to separate out the impact of the levy from other major changes to apprenticeships in recent years –  particularly the decision to replace apprenticeship frameworks, which were essentially a bundle of separate qualifications, with apprenticeship standards in which employers set out the skills, knowledge and behaviours that apprentices will learn during their training. 

To give us their take on whether or not the apprenticeship levy has been a success, we are joined today by Neil Carberry, the chief executive of the Recruitment and Employment Confederation, and Dr Anna Morrison CBE who is the founder and director of Amazing Apprenticeships. 

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