One of the UK’s largest security companies has committed to support dozens of new apprenticeships after committing £100,000 of its apprenticeship levy to Total People.
G4S, which employs over 25,000 people in the UK, has gifted £100,000 of unused apprenticeship levy funds to support apprenticeships in the education and childcare, and health and social care sectors. The funds will now be made available to smaller businesses and organisations in those sectors to train their staff through apprenticeships in roles such as childcare and nursery.
Total People is working with large businesses across the country to achieve £500,000 of levy gifting, after it was revealed that more than £250 million of apprenticeship levy funding was returned unused to the Treasury last year.
The gifting from G4S, on top of a recent levy gifting from catering company Elior means Total People is over half way to achieving its goal to use the unspent levy to help people to upskill or find work.
This is the second time which G4S has committed its apprenticeship levy to Total People, after gifting £100k in 2020 and enabled 19 employees to benefit from an apprenticeship.
Tony Summers, G4S Apprenticeship lead in the UK, said: “G4S is fully committed to supporting and assisting the communities in which we operate through a variety of means including providing good employment opportunities, effective services, charitable fund-raising, sponsorship of community projects, voluntary work by employees and donating apprenticeship levy to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
“As a large levy paying employer, we have a responsibility to support smaller organisations and help develop those who do not have access to funding.
“This year we have decided to support the education and childcare, and health and social care sectors. These sectors play a key role in supporting the most vulnerable people in our communities. Working in partnership with organisations such as Total People allows us to support those providing vital services.”
Beckie Holmes, Levy Gifting Manager, said: “G4S have very generously gifted £100k which now takes us that bit closer towards our £500k total.
“We appreciate each and every one of our employer partners who have gifted their amazing funds and are helping us to reach our life changing goal.
“Every penny makes a real difference to people’s lives.”
Apprenticeships can be made available to new and existing employees of all ages, and can be used to bridge skills gaps, increase the workforce or train in new technologies.
Levy paying employers are those with a wage bill of over £3m who must submit 0.5 per cent of their payroll towards the levy. Levy paying employers can ‘gift’ up to 25 per cent of their apprenticeship levy to other organisations to fund apprenticeships.
Total People provides apprenticeships in more than 30 different industries and connects people with employers to provide apprenticeship opportunities for anyone aged 16-plus.
