How 2025’s top apprenticeship employers are shaping the future – and how you can too

On 4 July 2025, the Department for Education (DfE), in partnership with RateMyApprenticeship, unveiled this year’s Top 100 Apprenticeship Employers and Top 50 SME Apprenticeship Employers – a powerful celebration of organisations leading the way in developing talent, investing in future skills, and championing inclusive growth. 

These rankings are more than just a recognition of best practice; they’re a roadmap for what’s possible when businesses take apprenticeships seriously. 

Who’s leading the way? 

At the top of this year’s list are the following employers:

Large employers 

1. Mitchells & Butlers - With 2,500+ apprentices across its hospitality brands, M&B continues to show that workforce development can be both strategic and personal. 

2. BAE Systems - With over 4,600 apprentices, BAE Systems is preparing the next generation of engineers, technicians, and digital specialists.

3. Amazon - A regular in the Top 10, Amazon is showing how tech-driven apprenticeships can unlock new career pathways at scale. 

Top SMEs 

1. MCFT - Their internal training academy, skilled mentors, and career development culture make this engineering firm a standout. 

2. Smailes Goldie and 3. Forbury Gardens Day Nursery - SMEs who prove that great training and support are not just for the big players. 

These employers represent a cross-section of the UK economy. But what unites them is their belief that apprenticeships are not just a programme – they’re a strategic investment in people and performance. 

Apprenticeships: smart business, lasting impact 

These top employers are showing how apprenticeships help them to: 

• tackle persistent skills gaps 
• build inclusive and diverse workforces 
• strengthen retention and loyalty 
• future-proof their capability and competitiveness. 

They’re not doing this to meet quotas – they’re doing it because it works. 

Making the Levy work 

The Apprenticeship Levy, when used effectively, becomes a catalyst for real, measurable workforce transformation. 

Top employers are building internal training academies, developing bespoke programmes aligned with business needs, using apprenticeships to upskill and reskill existing staff and forging long-term relationships with trusted training providers. 

Yes, the system can be complex. But these leading organisations are showing that with the right focus and support, the levy can unlock opportunity, not bureaucracy. 

A culture of continuous learning 

What separates good apprenticeship employers from great ones is their commitment to learning and development (L&D) at every level. 

These organisations embed L&D into the business, from onboarding to executive leadership, from basic skills to degree apprenticeships, and across digital, green, and technical disciplines. 

They recognise that people development is not a cost – it’s a long-term investment in agility, innovation, and resilience. 

Raising standards: the role of reform 

As apprenticeships grow in popularity and scope, quality assurance must keep pace. 

Many top employers are actively engaging with the Department for Education and assessment bodies to improve the consistency and rigour of apprenticeship assessments, the relevance of apprenticeship standards, and the responsiveness of qualifications to real business needs. 

This kind of feedback is essential – and it’s starting to shape meaningful reform. 

Helping to shape the future: a call to employers 

The 2025 rankings are a celebration – but also a call to action. Employers have a vital role to play in shaping the future of apprenticeships. We strongly encourage businesses of all sizes to: 

• engage with Skills England and the Department for Education 
• share your skills needs 
• advocate for flexible, responsive apprenticeship models 
• inform future strategy and support 
• work with NCFE and other assessment organisations 
• provide honest feedback on what’s working and what’s not 
• help raise standards, modernise assessment, and promote consistency 
• ensure apprentices leave programmes with skills employers truly value. 

Your insights are not just valuable – they’re essential. No one understands the evolving needs of industry better than employers on the ground. 

Future skills need today’s investment 

From AI to green tech, early years to health and care, the future economy will demand new capabilities at pace. The most forward-thinking organisations are already preparing – through structured, supported apprenticeship programmes. 

The Top 100 and Top 50 SME Employers show us what it looks like when apprenticeships are done well. Each one of them is: 

• developing talent 
• supporting social mobility 
• driving innovation 
• embedding learning into their DNA. 

Recognition and responsibility 

Let’s celebrate these top employers not just for what they’ve achieved – but for the example they’ve set. They remind us that when businesses invest in people, everyone benefits: 

The apprentice. The employer. The community. The economy. 

Let’s follow their lead, and let’s shape the future of skills together. 

To find out more about our apprenticeship offer, visit our apprenticeships page.