Business leaders and apprenticeship providers have joined Skills Minister Anne Milton and Institute for Apprenticeships chief executive Sir Gerry Berragan in defending the apprenticeship levy.

In an open letter published this morning, the 51 signatories, who include Mark Stewart, general manager and HR director at Airbus; Mike Thompson, head of apprenticeships at Barclays; and Paul Devoy, chief executive of Investors in People, say they have “all seen first-hand that apprenticeships can change the lives of apprentices – and the businesses they work with – for the better”. They add that they believe that the apprenticeship levy gives employers a real opportunity to invest in training, bringing the well-recognised enthusiasm and new ideas of apprentices to their business.

They add that higher and advanced level apprenticeships are “a passport into a range of exciting industries, including nuclear, food science, law, engineering, professional services, construction and digital technology”.

Read the full article in the Tes.