Over the 25 years I have worked in further education and employment policy, I’ve never seen skills and apprenticeships so firmly on the national agenda. Government strategies and White Papers consistently highlight the role of skills and apprenticeships in improving productivity and innovation, supporting people to gain work, and ultimately in driving economic growth.
Despite the political focus, there remains a widespread view that the skills system is fragmented, overly complex and difficult to navigate – for both employers and individuals. Few would disagree that things need to change.
Against this backdrop, recent changes to apprenticeships may seem less significant than those introduced by the Richard Review published over a decade ago. However, the implications of these changes could prove just as transformative. The shift away from an independent synoptic assessment model towards a more differentiated approach – where assessment organisations develop detail based on high-level assessment plans – marks a significant change. Similarly, the introduction of Foundation Apprenticeships, with a specified age, and defunding of adult level 7 apprenticeships, signals a departure away from an employer-led, all-age, all-level system, and towards the priorities in the Industrial Strategy.
Employer confidence
Employer confidence in apprenticeships is essential. Regardless of sector or size, four priorities stand out as being important to most businesses employing apprentices:
- Apprenticeships need to lead to occupational competence. Employers rely on a skilled and capable workforce equipped with the necessary knowledge, skills, and behaviours to drive success
- Employers need to have confidence that the assessments carried out are fair, robust and rigorous and provide reassurance that an apprentice has achieved occupational competence. Independence has provided this confidence and as models evolve, it is vital that assurance mechanisms remain sound.
- Employers welcome increased flexibility to deliver what’s needed for their workforce.Apprenticeships are not the only – or always the optimal – solution. Indications in the Industrial Strategy that the levy will be able to be used more flexibility to better reflect the diverse training needs of industry are a step in the right direction.
- Making apprenticeships easier to engage with – without compromising on quality – will help more employers participate. Complexity should never be a barrier to take-up.
Getting reform right
The prize is a streamlined responsive apprenticeship system which works effectively for employers, providers and apprentices. However, there are risks. The major risk for employers is that policy changes lead to a reduction in quality, eroding the hard-won trust in apprenticeships. It is imperative that the changes to assessment don’t lead to inconsistencies, or worse, a race to the bottom in relation to quality.
Assessment organisations are the experts and well-placed to develop tailored plans which are proportionate and utilise the most appropriate methods. But quality assurance will need to remain a central focus to maintain employer confidence, particularly where providers are carrying out parts of the assessment. The intention of Foundation Apprenticeships as options for young people to enter work is positive, but employers have questioned whether apprenticeships which don’t led to full competence is the best policy solution to this challenge.
To ensure employer confidence in apprenticeships remains high and take up continues to increase we urge government to take the following steps:
- Ensure the skills strategy provides a coherent approach for post 16 education and skills which includes a clear purpose for apprenticeships.
- Put the employer voice at the heart of reform, using sector skills bodies and other channels to consult and co-design with employers.
- Safeguard quality and consistency to maintain apprenticeships as a high quality product which gives employers confidence that they are occupationally competent – and maintain this as a central guiding principle of continued reform.
- Continue to introduce flexibilities in levy use to meet employer demand, particularly for reskilling and upskilling the 80% of the 2035 workforce who are already in work.
Apprenticeships are a vital part of the UK’s skills landscape. With the right focus and collaboration, current reforms offer an opportunity to strengthen the system, increase employer confidence, and ensure apprenticeships remain a trusted route into skilled employment.
