Apprenticeship Units — For Levy-Paying Employers

Your levy is leaving
every month.
Let's use it.

If your payroll exceeds £3 million, you're paying into the Growth & Skills Levy whether you use it or not. Levy Unlocked helps small levy-paying businesses build a strategy around the new apprenticeship units launching April 2026 — before your funds expire back to the Treasury.

Get Your Free Levy Check See how it works →
12
Months to spend your levy — down from 24. Unused funds expire back to the Treasury.
Apr '26
New apprenticeship units launch — a brand new way to use your levy contributions
0.5%
Of your payroll goes to the levy every month. We make sure every penny works for your business.
April 2026: The levy expiry window halves from 24 to 12 months and new apprenticeship units launch. If you're a levy payer, now is the time to act.
The Problem

You're paying the levy.
Is it working for you?

If your payroll exceeds £3 million, you're contributing 0.5% every month to the Growth & Skills Levy. From April 2026 those funds expire in just 12 months — down from 24. Most small levy-paying businesses have no strategy to use them.

Apprenticeship Units: Key Facts

Career Units are short, modular training options that can support long-term career development. The Government has not yet confirmed any formal credit or stacking rules, so for now units should be treated as standalone training.
What Short, modular training courses — faster and more flexible than full apprenticeships
When First wave launches April 2026 under the Growth & Skills Levy
Sectors AI, digital and engineering in the first wave — with more sectors added continuously as the catalogue grows
Funding Accessed through employer levy accounts — no new budget needed for levy payers
Who Available to both levy-paying employers and SMEs via transfer funding
What We Do

Expert guidance on
apprenticeship units. Nothing else.

We don't do general levy consultancy. We go deep on apprenticeship units — so you get genuine specialists, not generalists who've just read the guidance notes.

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Startup & Readiness

We assess your workforce and skills gaps, audit your levy position, map the right future apprenticeship units to your roles, and give you a clear plan so you can launch your first units the moment they go live

→ Let's talk about what's right for your business
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Initial Cohort Setup

When units launch we handle everything — provider selection, levy funding alignment and full setup for your first cohort of up to 4 apprentices.

→ Get in touch to discuss your first cohort
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Additional Placements

Once your first cohort is set up, adding further apprentices is straightforward. We handle each additional placement efficiently with no fuss.

→ Simple, transparent pricing per placement
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Quarterly Units Review

New units are approved continuously. Every quarter we review the latest units, assess what's relevant to your business, and brief you on your next opportunities.

→ Ongoing support as the catalogue grows
Stacked Units

Not just a course.
A development pathway.

We design stacked unit journeys — structured sequences where each unit builds on the last, creating continuous development, compounding skills and ongoing levy utilisation. When we talk about "stacking", we mean internal development pathways we create with you, not a Government-approved credit framework.

Example Pathways

Data Excel Fundamentals → Power BI → Data Analysis → AI for Data
Digital Digital Marketing → SEO & Analytics → AI Marketing Tools
Engineering CAD Fundamentals → Digital Manufacturing → AI in Engineering
AI AI Awareness → AI Tools in Practice → Advanced AI Implementation
Bespoke We design custom pathways tailored to your team's specific skills gaps and business goals
Who We Help

Built for small levy-paying
businesses.

You have a payroll over £3 million, which means you're paying into the levy every month. You probably don't have a dedicated L&D team to manage it. That's exactly who Levy Unlocked is built for.

You're already paying in

The levy is 0.5% of your payroll, collected monthly through PAYE. It sits in your digital account and expires if unused. Apprenticeship units give you a fast, targeted way to spend it on skills that matter.

  • No new budget required — you're using money already paid in
  • Units are short and flexible — no multi-year commitment
  • Digital, AI and engineering units launching first in April 2026
  • Growing catalogue means ongoing opportunities to utilise funds

The clock is ticking

From April 2026, levy funds expire after just 12 months — half the previous window. If your account has been building up unused, the pressure to act is now very real. We help you build a plan before funds are lost.

  • Audit your current levy balance and expiry timeline
  • Map the right units to your workforce and skills gaps
  • Set up your first cohort the moment units go live
  • Quarterly reviews as new units launch across more sectors
Free Levy Check

See whether apprenticeship units
could work for your business

Answer a few quick questions and Dom will be in touch with a personalised assessment of your levy position, what's expiring, and which units are the best fit for your team.

Your contact details

Takes under 1 minute · No obligation · Dom will be in touch within 1 business day

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You're all set.

Thanks for submitting your details. Dom will review your levy position and be in touch within one business day with a personalised assessment of your options.