Recent years have seen a growing push to reform the UK’s apprenticeship systems. Many factors are driving this, not least a shift in technical skills for the 21st century and a demand from employers for a broader array of transferable skills. More widely, there is also an increasingly apparent need to simplify a system that has – with all the best intentions – become overly complex, inconsistent and cumbersome to navigate.
But beyond a general recognition of the need for change, what are the most pressing issues? What opportunities might policymakers adopt to improve apprenticeship delivery? And how can we bring the systems across the UK’s four nations into greater alignment? In autumn of 2022, Skills Development Scotland and the Edge Foundation delivered three workshops to explore these issues. Each was packed with presentations, breakout sessions and thought-provoking viewpoints from employers, policymakers and other industry professionals. Here’s a summary of the progress that we made.
Workshop 1: Currents trends in the UK’s apprenticeship systems
In September, we explored current trends impacting the labour market. The National Foundation for Educational Research shared compelling research highlighting that digital and meta-skills are currently at the forefront of skills development. While employers still require technical expertise – the traditional bread and butter of apprenticeships – they increasingly want analytical thinkers, creative problem solvers and leadership skills. Crucially, these skills need developing not just in young people preparing to enter the workforce, but across the existing workforce. The Learning and Work Institute also shared research highlighting the need to move away from a general ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach to apprenticeships and towards a more targeted, place-based approach to skills development.
Attendees identified their requirements. A key theme was the need for flexibility. For employers, this meant a system agile enough to respond to rapid changes in the socioeconomic environment. For employees, it means having the transferable skills they need to easily switch between jobs and industries. A proposed solution to both issues was shorter, sharper skills development in the form of micro-credentials. Rather than focusing on resource-heavy, drawn-out training programs, more agile and stackable qualifications could help learners easily update their skills in a manner that suits them and their employer.
Workshop 2: National and international best practice
Our October workshop explored what we might learn from best practice across the UK and beyond. We welcomed Heta Rintala, Principal Research Scientist from Häme University of Applied Sciences, who shared insights on recent reforms to the Finnish system. Finland has adopted a modular approach to apprenticeships, offering diverse and individually tailored training pathways. Some apprenticeships are now shorter and sharper, bridging individual learners’ skills gaps with various learning approaches. Learners can now access multiple routes towards the same qualification, allowing them to transition fluidly between work and education, while maintaining common standards.
Closer to home, Lewis Cooper, Director of the Four Nations College Alliance, drew attention to some apprenticeship trends across the UK’s nations. Despite differences, there was clear support for a more integrated approach to post-16 education and skills, the promotion of lifelong learning and improved employer engagement.
The breakout sessions in this workshop focused on identifying the areas that need further interrogation. For instance, is England’s employer-led standards system a prime example of employer leadership? Or does it place too much power in employer hands? More fundamentally, who are apprenticeships for? Young people breaking into the labour market, or older members of the workforce? How might we design a system that satisfies both? The session established an intriguing agenda for our third and final workshop.
Workshop 3: Actions and opportunities
Our November workshop focused on practical actions we might take to improve apprenticeships across the four nations. Joanna Morrison from Diageo neatly summarized the employer perspective. This included the growing need for meta-skills, simplifying the skills system, updating current skills frameworks, greater use of micro-credentials, and the possibility of a central interface to help employers better support apprentices across different training providers and regions.
Based on input from policymakers, employers and other sector professionals, we’ve developed a practical framework for the ideal apprenticeship system. It should be agile enough to respond to rapid socioeconomic changes, flexible and accessible enough to support a diversifying and aging workforce, and fluid enough that learners can transition more easily between work and education. Furthermore, we must widen the diversity and role of employers, facilitating broader input across apprenticeship design, delivery and assessment. We must also simplify our apprenticeships systems, removing friction for cross-nation employers and training providers. This would also make it easier for learners to navigate. With a framework in place, we can start building an apprenticeships system that works for everyone.
Conclusion
Bringing together such a diverse range of voices always opens the door for a potential deluge of ideas. But the consistency of thought (despite the varied effects of the system on different stakeholders) and shared principles were the most encouraging takeaways. There is clear appetite for change. The consensus established throughout these workshops will undoubtedly mark an important moment as the four UK nations jointly adapt our apprenticeship systems to the changing needs of the 21st century.
