Burnham Government Opens More Doors for NXTGEN

One announcement that really caught my eye this week was the Government's decision to make it easier for employers to recruit young apprentices.

The change centres around the Apprenticeship Levy—a scheme that requires larger employers to contribute towards funding apprenticeship training. Until now, employers that didn't pay the Apprenticeship Levy still had to contribute towards the cost of training an apprentice.

From August 2026, employers that don't pay the Apprenticeship Levy will no longer have to contribute towards apprenticeship training and assessment costs when they recruit an apprentice aged 16–24. Instead, the Government will fund 100% of those costs (up to the funding band limit).

I think this is a really positive move. By reducing the cost of taking on an apprentice, more employers may feel able to invest in young talent and offer that all-important first step into the workplace.

That matters because an estimated 1.013 million young people aged 16–24 in the UK are currently NEET (Not in Education, Employment or Training)—equivalent to around one in every eight young people. Every apprenticeship won't solve that challenge, but every new vacancy has the potential to change someone's future.

Let's hope this encourages more employers to take a chance on the next generation. Sometimes, all it takes is one opportunity to change someone's direction.