Tesco boss: Apprenticeship levy is too inflexible

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The CEO of the UK’s largest retailer has slammed the apprenticeship levy for being too inflexible and “open to abuse”. Tesco CEO Dave Lewis said that while apprenticeships have helped address skills gaps and offer pathways to employment for many of its staff, the retailer has been prevented from offering the number of apprenticeships it would like because it is only able to draw on a fraction of the money it pays in. Speaking at the British Chambers of Commerce annual conference yesterday, Lewis said: “Since 2012 we’ve supported nearly 10,000 apprenticeships within Tesco. “Our apprenticeships cater for every age and more than 60% of participants are women. [They’re] a vital pathway to employment “But the policy framework for apprenticeships is broken…There’s simply not enough flexibility and it’s too open to abuse. “Tesco wants to take on more apprenticeships but we’re barred from doing that cost-effectively and I know that many other businesses are frustrated in a similar way.” He agreed with the National Audit Office’s view that the levy’s effectiveness needed to be evaluated. Earlier this month