Mitie has passed the £2 million milestone for its Apprenticeship Levy gifting pledges, which has enabled over 30 small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) and local community services across the United Kingdom to fund apprenticeship schemes for future talent. With less than 3% of Levy-paying employers gifting Levy funding to SMEs, this makes Mitie one of just 580 companies investing unspent Levy funds to support their local communities1.
With more than 1,200 colleagues undertaking an apprenticeship at any one time, in a diverse range of areas from Heat Pump Engineers and Data Technicians to Security Officers, Business Administration and Project Management, Mitie champions apprenticeships as a cornerstone for the development of its workforce. As a large business, Mitie pays into the Apprenticeship Levy each year, with this money used to fund apprenticeship training and development for both its existing colleagues and new recruits. Recent changes to the Levy mean organisations can also gift up to 50%2 (previously 25%) of the previous year’s contributions to other organisations to develop their future talent pipeline through apprenticeship schemes.
Since its introduction in 2021, Mitie’s Apprenticeship Levy gifting programme has supported a range of SMEs in the industries it works in to plug skills gaps in the engineering, construction, data, and digital sectors. For example, Mitie has worked with a not-for-profit social enterprise, who secure apprenticeships for people from disadvantaged backgrounds in the construction sector, to fund the schemes of 13 apprentices in heating, plumbing, electrical, and carpentry roles. In addition, Mitie’s most recent collaboration is with the Oxfordshire Local Enterprise Partnership (OxLEP), an organisation focused on driving economic growth, job creation, and infrastructure development in Oxfordshire. As part of this partnership, Mitie has pledged £100,000 to support the recruitment and development of women in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) apprenticeships.
In commitment to the local communities it serves, Mitie has supported training for local fire establishments, including Manchester Fire Services. Since 2021, Mitie has supported eight operational firefighter apprentices to successfully complete their programmes and become professional firefighters serving the greater Manchester community, and is currently supporting a further 18 who are due to complete their programme in January 2025.
Mitie is also committed to supporting people who have previously experienced barriers to employment in securing apprenticeships and employment through its Levy gifting approach. Mitie’s gifting funds were recently used by one of its partners to support seven people, who either have a disability or face socio-economic disadvantages, into managerial and leadership apprenticeship schemes. Separately, recent support has enabled an individual who was previously long-term unemployed due to mental health challenges, to successfully achieve their Level 2 Carpentry and Joinery qualification and secure employment with the partner company.
Kate Large, Director of Learning and Development, Mitie, said:
“We focus our Levy gifting on helping groups with barriers to employment and supporting the local communities we serve. From training firefighters, to helping people overcome long-term difficulties, to welcoming women in STEM, the £2 million we’ve gifted is having a positive impact in developing future talent.”
Notes to editors
1 Information stated in a written parliamentary question and answer from Dr Luke Evans MP to Robert Halfon MP on 12 February 2024 which revealed that 2.7%, or 580 of levy-paying employers transfer funds to non-levy employers.
2 This came into effect on 6 April 2024, the percentage companies could previously gift was 25%
About Mitie
Founded in 1987, Mitie’s job is to look after places where Britain works, and it is the leading facilities management and transformation company in the UK. We offer a range of services to the public sector through our Central Government & Defence and Communities (Local Government & Education, Healthcare and Care & Custody) divisions. Our Technical Services (Engineering Services) and Business Services (Security, Cleaning, Landscapes, Spain and Waste) divisions serve private sector customers in areas such as Financial & Professional Services, Industrials, Retail and Transport, and increasingly the public sector.
Mitie employs 65,000 people. We take care of our customers’ people and buildings, through the ‘Science of Service’, and we are transforming facilities to be more flexible, safe, sustainable, and attractive to all. Mitie continues to execute its technology-led strategy and in the past twelve months has received multiple awards and validation for its ambitious near and long-term science-based emissions reduction targets from the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi). Find out more at www.mitie.com.