It was good to be on the opening panel of the Aptem conference in Birmingham on May 15th, with Ben Rowland, Dr Mandy Crawford-Lee FRSA, Karen Kelly and chaired by Richard Alberg.
We were discussing the critical transformations underway in our nation's skills and apprenticeship landscape.
The UK skills sector is currently navigating a period of significant and simultaneous change. We are grappling with multiple policy reforms designed to reshape the funding, structure, and delivery of vocational training to boost economic growth and address persistent skills gaps.
During the panel, I emphasised several areas crucial for our path forward:
Protecting and enhancing the 'apprenticeship' brand: How do we creatively ensure parity with traditional qualifications and safeguard the lifelong vocational skills pathway, especially with potential changes to Level 7 apprenticeships? My view is clear: we must anchor the brand in demonstrable quality and relevance to employer needs, rigorously maintaining standards at Levels 4-6. We also need to actively promote parity through sustained campaigns and improved careers guidance from an early age.
Strategically flexing the Growth and Skills Levy: With the apprenticeship budget under pressure, what opportunities exist to prioritise Level 2 and 3 starts for young people and enhance SME engagement?
We must leverage the new flexibility in the G&S Levy for approved non-apprenticeship training carefully, ensuring Skills England defines the 'approved list' to strategically support both broader skills needs and core apprenticeship opportunities, particularly for our youth and smaller businesses. Maximising levy transfers to SMEs is also key.
The overarching challenge is to ensure these complex reforms genuinely widen opportunity and meet the diverse skills needs of our economy without compromising quality. The advent of AI 🤖 also presents transformative potential for personalised learning and efficiency, but we must manage its integration thoughtfully, addressing ethical considerations and the digital divide.
Achieving a truly agile, coherent, and high-quality skills ecosystem requires effective partnership between government, Skills England, employers, and innovative providers. I look forward to continued collaboration 🤝 to build a system that fuels productivity and delivers tangible opportunities for all.
