Why Schools and MATs Are Turning to MATAA Apprenticeships

For headteachers, chief executives, and HR leaders across the education sector, managing workforce development is a constant balancing act. Schools face persistent recruitment challenges, tight budgets, and shifting operational demands. At the same time, every large Multi-Academy Trust (MAT) pays into the UK Government’s Apprenticeship Levy - a fund that often goes underutilised simply due to a lack of time, internal expertise, or tailored options.

This is where the Multi-Academy Trust Apprenticeship Association (MATAA) comes into play. By bridging the gap between education employers and high-quality training providers, MATAA helps schools transform a compulsory tax into a strategic asset for staff retention and school improvement.

1. Reclaiming Unspent Levy Funds Many academy trusts contribute tens of thousands of pounds annually to the Apprenticeship Levy. If these funds are not spent within 24 months, they expire and revert to the Treasury. MATAA provides MATs with a clear, structured pathway to reinvest these funds directly back into their own workforce. Whether upskilling current administrative staff into qualified HR professionals or developing middle leaders, using MATAA ensures that training budgets stay within the trust rather than quietly slipping away.

2. Access to Education-Focused Training Programmes A common frustration among school leaders is that generic commercial apprenticeships often fail to reflect the unique realities of working in a school environment. Standard business administration or HR modules frequently miss critical education contexts like safeguarding, the Single Central Record (SCR), or school-specific terms and conditions.

   By connecting trusts with approved MAT training providers, MATAA ensures that apprenticeship programmes are designed by education specialists for education settings. Trainees work on real-world scenarios relevant to schools, ensuring that learning translates immediately into operational improvements across classrooms and central offices.

   
   

3. Streamlining Procurement and Provider Selection

   Finding reliable, high-quality apprenticeship providers can be an overwhelming administrative task for busy school leaders. MATAA simplifies this by curating a network of MAT-led and education-aligned training providers.

   Rather than navigating lengthy procurement processes or vetting individual providers from scratch, school leaders can browse tailored programmes - from Level 3 HR Support to Level 5 Leadership and Project Management - all in one place.
   

4. Strengthening Non-Teaching Career Pathways

   While teacher training receives significant attention, support staff, business managers, HR officers, and site managers form the operational backbone of every successful school. High turnover in these roles disrupts school operations and increases recruitment costs.

   Partnering with MATAA allows trusts to offer clear, accredited progression routes (such as CIPD-accredited HR qualifications or recognised management standards) for non-teaching staff. Offering professional development signals to staff that they are valued, boosting morale and driving retention across central teams.
   

5. Building Collaboration Across the Sector

   At its core, MATAA fosters collaboration across trusts. Rather than working in isolation, participating schools and trusts gain access to a wider network of peers who share best practices, pool resources, and collectively elevate standards in educational operations.

Taking the Next Step

For school leaders, Learning & Development and HR leads looking to unlock the full potential of their workforce strategy while maximising levy funding, exploring MATAA's offerings is a natural starting point.

To learn more about available programmes, provider options, and how your trust can get started, visit our MATAA Apprenticeships listing today!