Co-op has pledged £70m to create 7,000 apprenticeships by 2030, in what it says is a major step towards tackling widening skills gaps and boosting social mobility.

The convenience retailer’s Levy Share scheme, launched in 2021, has already unlocked £40m of unused levy funds from large employers and channelled them into more than 3,800 apprenticeships.

Two-thirds of these placements have gone to people living in the UK’s most deprived communities, with strong representation from women, non-white British candidates and those declaring a disability.

Its latest commitment comes as the number of apprenticeship starts continues to fall, despite the government’s push for more young people to choose “gold standard” technical routes.

Co-op said demand for funded placements remains high across sectors, including early years, engineering, care and digital.

“We launched Co-op Levy Share to unlock unused levy funds and turn waste into opportunity,” said Co-op chief people and inclusion officer Claire Costello.

“But to truly drive social mobility, we need to measure who benefits. That’s why we’re calling on Skills England to start collecting SocioEconomic Background (SEB) data for apprenticeships.

“Without it, the system risks leaving some groups behind. Shining a light on access means we can target support where it’s needed most and build a fairer future for all.”

The convenience retailer is also urging Skills England to begin collecting socio-economic background data so policymakers can better understand which groups are benefiting from apprenticeships and where access is still limited.

Under the scheme, levy-paying businesses such as Amazon, JD Sports, NatWest and Direct Line transfer unused funds to smaller organisations, charities and community groups.

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