Smyths Toys Superstores help to #leadthefuture

Leading toy retailer Smyths Toys Superstores is helping childcare and education apprentices to #leadthefuture after gifting over £51k of unused apprenticeship levy.

During National Apprenticeship Week 2021, the national business has pledged over £51k of unused apprenticeship levy to help create opportunities for apprentices in childcare and education in small and medium enterprises.

Sarah O'Hanlon, Head of UK HR, said: “At Smyths Toys Superstores we are committed to helping our employees to progress and develop through training. We have invested heavily in our apprenticeship programme over recent years and we would now like to offer our support to smaller organisations. 

“As a business we’re dedicated to encouraging learning and developing creativity in children. Therefore, we have pledged to support the childcare and education sector to recruit and train apprentices. We believe that this investment will make a real difference to the next generation.”  

Levy paying employers are those with a wage bill of over £3m and see 0.5 per cent of their payroll go to HMRC to the levy. In April 2019, the Government made it possible for levy-paying employers to ‘gift’ up to 25 per cent of their apprenticeship Levy to fund new apprenticeships.  

By gifting surplus levy, large employers can sponsor an apprenticeship in their chosen sector or industry, while at the same time supporting employment and skills development in SME businesses who benefit from fully-funded apprenticeship training. 

Leanne Shackleton, Levy Gifting Manager at Total People, said: “This is great news and a fantastic gift during National Apprenticeship Week 2021. We know there is high demand for apprentices within these sectors so I want to thank Smyths Toys Superstores for helping to create real opportunity through Total People apprenticeships.”

Find out more about our Education and Childcare sector.