Clarke Willmott has become the first law firm to sign up to the Share to Support scheme which helps fund apprenticeship training for small and medium-sized businesses in the West of England.

Run by The West of England Combined Authority and Western Training Provider Network (WTPN) the scheme asks larger businesses to pledge a proportion of their unspent apprenticeship levy to support SMEs who wouldn’t be able to recruit apprenticeships or upskill their team without funding support.

Approximately £4m-£8m of investment in training each year is lost to the West of England and returned to the Treasury. Apprenticeship levy funds paid by employers expire after two years if not used.

Clarke Willmott, which has offices in Bristol and Taunton as well as regional offices across the UK, has pledged to share some of its levy to schemes across England which will provide opportunities for local people looking to gain new skills as well as help aid business recovery.

The firm’s head of ESG, Karen Higgins, said: “Clarke Willmott is proud to be supporting the Share to Support scheme, which aligns with our focus on improving social mobility in our communities. Providing opportunities to allow others to thrive is vital for unlocking talent and supporting local business growth and success.”

Apprenticeship development manager for WTPN, Jane Yorke, said: “We are delighted to welcome Clarke Willmott to the Share to Support scheme. This collaboration through apprenticeships will make a real difference to people’s lives by improving personal prospects as well as supporting local communities.”

SMEs looking to contribute to enhancing social mobility via apprenticeships should contact WTPN for more information about how to apply for this funding.

Alternatively, large employers may have unspent apprenticeship levy that will be transferred back to Treasury. They can contact WTPN to make a real difference to small and medium-sized businesses in the region by donating this surplus levy to cover apprenticeship training costs.

For more information visit www.wtpn.org.uk

For more information on Clarke Willmott visit www.clarkewillmott.com