UK supermarket Asda has urged Government to reconsider plans to defund leadership and management apprenticeships.

The retailer published its 2025 Apprenticeships Impact Report during National Apprenticeship Week, highlighting the impact apprenticeship funding had on Asda employees and local communities during 2025.

This comes as the Government has signalled its intent to reform apprenticeships in the UK, with reports that Government is planning to make it harder for retailers to offer leadership apprenticeship opportunities. Asda said this would prevent apprentices from moving from the shop floor into management positions, meaning young people “could struggle to build long-term careers in retail”.

According to the Asda report, 2025 saw £2.7 million invested in apprenticeship training, helping more than 200 colleagues complete programmes alongside their day jobs.

The report went on to highlight the impact funding had on colleagues, including £1.15 million in levy transfers, supporting 165 apprentices across 80 small and medium‑sized businesses in London, Leicester, West Yorkshire and Manchester.

It also identified challenges with the current funding system, detailing how in 2025, £11.7 million of Asda’s levy expired unused due to restrictions on how employers can deploy their funds.

A “backward step”

James Goodman, Asda’s chief people officer, said: “Apprenticeships are central to helping colleagues build the skills they need to thrive and to developing the next generation of retail leaders. We’re proud to offer high-quality programmes that grow talent within Asda and support local SMEs to upskill their teams.

“The current funding system is holding employers back, with millions in levy funding going unused because of restrictive rules. Reports that the Government plan to defund leadership apprenticeships would clearly be a further backward step, that would cut off proven progression routes and weaken the sector’s ability to develop future leaders.”