Ground Control: making the Apprenticeship Levy work smarter.

Ground Control is a large national employer with more than 400 unique organisational roles, a strong learning and development culture, established internal programmes and clear values around people growth.

The organisation was already investing significantly in commercially funded training. Apprenticeship opportunities, however, were materially underutilised, creating a clear strategic question for L&D and senior stakeholders.

The core client question was simple: “How can we make our Apprenticeship Levy work smarter for us?”

This was not just a funding question. Ground Control needed a provider-neutral view of where apprenticeships could support workforce growth, retention, future skills and progression without disrupting the strengths of its existing development culture.

MPR Consulting reviewed the existing programme, assessed provider options and analysed the levy opportunity against the organisation’s role base, development priorities and internal operating reality.

The work created a strategic apprenticeship roadmap that linked funded development to workforce growth, retention, future skills priorities and organisational capability development. The emphasis was practical and evidence-led: clearer choices, better provider decisions and a stronger internal model for managing apprenticeship activity.

Apprenticeships gained clearer internal ownership and a more explicit connection to Ground Control’s wider L&D strategy. The creation of an apprenticeship-focused team within L&D helped move activity from isolated opportunity to managed organisational capability.

Provider conversations became more informed, with stronger criteria around delivery fit, learner experience, business relevance and long-term value. The organisation also developed a clearer view of how apprenticeship pathways could support progression across a complex role base.

The work contributed to a 390% increase in apprentices across the organisation and a 530% increase in apprenticeship levy utilisation. It also supported visible growth and development across the organisation and a clearer long-term direction for development, retention and progression.