Partou to employ 50 new apprentices thanks to Aldi UK

Leading childcare provider Partou is to recruit 50 additional apprentices after announcing a major levy gifting agreement with Aldi UK.

Introduced in 2017, the Apprenticeship Levy requires all employers in the UK with an annual pay bill of more than £3 million to set aside 0.5% of their yearly wage costs to fund training for apprentices.

They can spend their levy funds on training their own staff or transfer up to 50% to other organisations to support apprenticeship training and assessment.

Aldi UK has confirmed it will transfer over £300,000 to fund new apprenticeships at Partou which currently employs over 2,000 dedicated childcare professionals at more than 100 nurseries in the UK, including 240 apprentices.

Last year the retailer announced it would gift £2 million to help businesses fund a variety of apprentices in settings such as nurseries, care homes, healthcare and trades.

The commitment, which forms part of Aldi’s Apprenticeship Levy gifting initiative launched in 2021, will take the amount of apprenticeship funding it has provided to £5.5 million by the end of 2027.

Simon Booth-Liddle, Partou Head of People Experience, said:

“We are immensely grateful to Aldi UK for their kindness and generosity which will enable us to deliver 50 new apprenticeships around the country.

“These are key roles in our nurseries. Whether just starting out or ready for the next career step as an early years professional, Partou’s Level 2 and Level 3 Early Years apprenticeships offer hands-on experience, expert guidance and the pathway to make a real difference to young lives every day. We are also starting to focus on Level 5 Early Years apprenticeships.”

Lisa Murphy, Training and Development Director at Aldi UK, said:

“Our levy gifting initiative is designed to support our local communities, increase social mobility, and promote diversity and inclusion.

“By sharing our apprenticeship levy with organisations such as Partou that align with our values, we can create lasting opportunities and improve people’s lives.”

Samantha Rhodes, Partou Managing Director, said:

“We are thrilled to be working with Aldi UK. I also wish to thank Lifetime, one of our two national training providers, for their assistance in forming the partnership.

“Joining Partou as an apprentice means becoming part of a team where children lead the way, but where every team member’s personal development matters just as much.”

Ross Crook, Lifetime Chief Revenue Officer, said:

“We are proud to help bring employers together to ensure that valuable Apprenticeship Levy funds are put to good use rather than expiring. By supporting businesses to transfer unused levy funds to organisations that do not have access to them, we are enabling more employers to invest in skills and workforce development.

“This is about far more than a financial transaction. Partnerships like this help address critical sector skills gaps while creating real opportunities for people to start and progress in their careers. It is fantastic to see employers collaborating in this way to expand access to apprenticeships, and it demonstrates the powerful impact that partnership working can have for businesses, individuals, and the wider economy.”