Aldi apprenticeships levy funding to support opportunities across North West
New apprenticeship opportunities across Greater Manchester and Cheshire are set to be given a huge boost with a major investment of levy funds by supermarket group Aldi, to support the creation of new apprenticeship opportunities.
It forms part of Aldi’s wider pledge to gift £2m to small and medium-sized businesses over the next two years to help them fund a variety of industry apprenticeships.
Aldi launched the apprenticeship levy gifting scheme in 2021 and this will take the amount of apprenticeship funding the supermarket has provided to small and medium-sized enterprises to £5.5m by the end of April 2027.
Manchester-based apprenticeship provider, Total People, works with Aldi to provide support to small businesses in the North West in the childcare, engineering, and professional services sectors, enabling them to access fully funded apprenticeship opportunities and strengthen their workforce pipeline.
Lisa Murphy, UK training and development director at Aldi UK, said: “Apprenticeships can be a potential lifeline to young people looking for that first opportunity in a competitive job market, but they are equally transformative for businesses that embrace them as well.
“But not all smaller businesses have the resources to invest, and it’s often these employers that could benefit the most from a well funded programme.
“Levy gifting is an excellent way for larger organisations to expand the impact of apprenticeships and we intend to use the scheme to its full potential in supporting smaller employers in our communities.”
Melanie Nicholson
Mel Nicholson, managing director at Total People, said: “We are grateful to Aldi for their continued support of apprenticeships. This funding represents a major boost for employers, apprentices, and the regional economy and demonstrates the value of investing in new talent and will enable us to deliver between 60-80 apprenticeships.”
She added: “By removing financial barriers to apprenticeships, businesses can nurture the next generation of skilled professionals, apprentices gain invaluable training and career opportunities, and the region benefits from fresh investment and workforce development.”
One of the businesses to benefit from the programme is The Manchester Fertility Clinic. A spokesperson said: “We have worked closely with Total people who have supported our apprentice through their customer service apprenticeship in which she has now achieved distinction in all areas.
“We loved having her for the past 12 months and she has learnt so much we didn’t want her to leave, so we have offered her a permanent job in a customer service role.”
