Reform UK unveils tax rebate scheme to spur apprenticeships for 16-18 year olds

Reform UK announced a package intended to launch a “skills revolution” by offering small and medium-sized enterprises a 30% rebate on wages paid to apprentices aged 16-18, described as an apprenticeship wage credit. The plan adds a £2,000 tax-free retention bonus for apprentices who remain with the same employer for a minimum of two years after finishing their program. Party education spokeswoman Suella Braverman said the scheme could save businesses about £4,000 per apprentice annually.

Funding would come from banning foreign students from accessing taxpayer-funded loans and eliminating degrees the party deems low-value, such as gender studies and golf course studies. Reform targets 600,000 apprenticeship starts per year by the end of the next Parliament, estimating costs between £1.48 bn and nearly £2 bn over five years.