There has been a renewed focus on apprenticeships since the government launched its flagship skills policy, Skills England, in August last year. 

One of the stated goals of the new body is to reform the apprenticeship levy, which was introduced in 2017 but is only fully used by just 4% of employers, according to research by City & Guilds and The 5% Club. As National Apprenticeship Week begins today (10 February), many organisations will be reviewing how they use the funding and how it fits into their wider skills plans.

Insurance company Aviva has increased its use of the levy “considerably” in the past five years, according to chief people officer Danny Harmer. As of December 2024, the company had committed 78% of its levy to skills development in England – the equivalent of around £4 million.

This goes against a recent study by Davies, which found that one in three financial services employers are missing out on the benefits of apprenticeships.

Currently, Aviva has 530 apprentices on a range of programmes, and 255 of those started in the last year.

“The important thing to note about apprenticeships is that when you invest in people, they stay,” explains Harmer. “Ninety-three per cent of our apprentices have stayed employed at Aviva two years after completion.”

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One of the key elements of Aviva’s apprenticeship strategy is to support smaller, local businesses to build skills, she adds.

Under the current levy rules, large employers can transfer up to 50% of levy funds each year to other businesses. So far, the company has gifted £645,000 of unused levy funds in support of skills development for businesses close to its offices in York, Norwich, Eastleigh, Sheffield and Bristol.

Harmer adds: “We’re a major employer in these locations and we understand the impact we can have on the community. Everyone wants those cities to thrive and [levy sharing] means we can create a virtuous cycle that ensures that.”

Internally, the role of apprenticeships is crucial in how Aviva will meet its skills needs in the future.

The average age of an apprentice is 28, and pathways range from technology and underwriting, to new opportunities bespoke to the company. They operate at all levels up to a Level 7 (equivalent to a Master’s degree), and last between 12 months and 4 years.

Routes into the business

They sit alongside eight career pathways for graduates including accountancy, actuarial, business management, claims, data, technology and claims delivery, underwriting, and wealth.

In addition, Aviva’s Foundry programme is focused on building future workforce skills in digital, data and technology. So far, this has re-skilled more than 200 colleagues and has supported many into new digital careers who were previously in customer telephony roles.

“Every company that does what we do will need the same skills, so as an organisation we have to grow our own. Apprenticeships are a great way of doing that,” she says.

Offering multiple points of entry, including non-graduate routes, also means Aviva can commit to recruiting the broadest range of talent possible in terms of social mobility.

Harmer adds: “We’re holding ourselves to account by tracking social mobility data and using apprenticeships can help with this. We also offer internships focused on those who might find it harder to get into the labour market because they don’t have the same level of educational support or networks.”

She hopes that any reforms to apprenticeship provision and funding will keep the levy flexible so employers can continue to combine this route with other skills development programmes and recruitment routes: “We know they’re a great way to broaden access to learning and development and we’ve dialled up our use of the levy considerably in recent years.”

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