A Celebration of Collaboration – Share to Support Evening, June 10th

Justine Simpson
Jun 20
2 min read

A huge thank you to everyone who joined us on the evening of June 10th to celebrate the impact and progress of the Share to Support programme.

A fantastic evening at Engine Shed, bringing together the businesses, partners, supporters, and champions who have helped drive this programme forward. A room full of people who have made it happen – through commitment, collaboration, and a shared commitment to creating opportunities through Apprenticeships.

Launched in 2021, Share to Support was designed to ensure that the West of England had its very own apprenticeship levy service, run by the WTPN, the service funded by the West of England Combined Authority. – helping drive economic growth and unlock opportunities across the region. The Share to Support programme ensures that levy funds are kept in region, and even imported into our region to support the growth of apprenticeships, the needs of our employers and our residents. Since its launch, we’ve seen year-on-year growth in applications from SMEs – a clear sign of their appetite to invest in their workforce. In 2021, Levy transfers helped create 72 apprenticeships. Now in 2025, we’re on track to create more than 144. This impact is bolstered by our SME support service, which provides free and impartial advice throughout the apprenticeship journey. In the past year alone, over 90 businesses have received one-to-one guidance.

The evening brought these numbers to life through real stories!

We were delighted to be joined by Marshfield Ice Cream, who shared their Apprenticeship Success Story. As a growing family business, they spoke about how working with our Share to Support programme and SME service helped them take on apprentices with confidence – and how they’ve now fully embraced apprenticeships as a key part of their future recruitment. A brilliant example of how impactful apprenticeships can be for growing businesses.

We also shared some of the incredible stats that show just how far we’ve come:

£4.2 million transferred to SMEs
228 businesses supported
569 apprenticeships created
£7.6 million in Levy pledges
1 in 5 apprentices coming from the West of England’s most income-deprived areas

Adding to the evening’s insight, the West of England Combined Authority shared the region’s priorities and ambitions for skills – with a clear focus on supporting young people through the Youth Guarantee and a strong commitment to investing in the future workforce.

A real highlight of the evening was our panel discussion with four of our Levy Gifters – GKN, University of Bristol, University of the West of England, and Anglian Home Improvements – who spoke about why they gift and the opportunity it brings to support smaller businesses and help create meaningful pathways for local people.

It’s always inspiring to hear directly from those involved – a reminder of how collaboration across our region can create real opportunities and open doors for people.

Thanks again to all who attended and continue to support the Share to Support programme.

Here’s to the next celebration!