Tesco is diverting £650,000 of its unspent apprenticeship levy fund into training paramedics.
The donation to London Ambulance Service will help support the delivery of two apprenticeship schemes, helping 66 aspiring paramedics into full-time careers.
Both schemes, the Emergency Medical Technician and Assistant Ambulance Practitioner apprenticeship, offer training for frontline roles.
It means that over £2m of Tesco’s apprenticeship funds have been diverted to the London Ambulance Service this year, supporting 143 Apprentices kick start their career.
“I am incredibly proud that we are supporting London Ambulance Service to train up its next generation of apprentices,” said Emma Taylor, Tesco chief people officer.
“Investing in people is at the heart of everything Tesco does, and this partnership allows us to create meaningful opportunities for young talent in the communities we serve, while strengthening one of our most vital frontline services.”
Tesco had diverted its funds under existing Apprenticeship Levy rules, which enable businesses to “allocate” a portion of their funds to other organisations, the supermarket said.
Alongside the donation, Tesco welcomed the Department for Work & Pensions’ £1bn youth employment drive announced on Monday, as Labour seeks to get a grip on the UK youth employment crisis.
Read more: How can the food & drink industry tackle youth unemployment?
Billed as the “biggest transformation of apprenticeships in a decade” the headline is the introduction of a new Youth Jobs grant, where businesses will receive £3,000 for every time they hire a person aged 18 to 24 who has been out of work for six months. In addition, under a new Apprenticeship Incentive, SMEs can earn up to £2,000 for each new employee aged 16 to 24.
Industry groups BRC and UKHospitality have also welcomed the proposals, particularly the expansion of subsidised foundation apprenticeships into hospitality and retail from April 2026.
Transitioning to the Growth & Skills Levy from the Apprenticeship Levy would “provide increased flexibility with accelerated approvals for new courses and the introduction of targeted short courses, known as apprenticeship units”, Tesco said.
It comes as retail bosses, including M&S CEO Stuart Machin, and Asda chief people officer James Goodman have called for reform to the Apprenticeship Levy rules that stop business accessing expired funds.
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