For this year’s National Apprenticeship Week (10 to 14 February 2025), Jo McKenzie, Senior Education Advisor at the Education and Training Foundation, explores what is meant by ‘skills for life’ and discusses how apprenticeships underpin the Government’s missions and priorities.
National Apprenticeship Week is an annual celebration of the value of apprenticeships for our society and economy, the achievements of all apprentices, and the dedication of providers and employers who support them. It’s a fantastic opportunity for us to hear and share stories of progress and success and to understand the many opportunities and pathways that open up when someone chooses to embark on an apprenticeship.
This year’s National Apprenticeship Week theme is ‘skills for life’, reinforcing the notion that apprenticeships are neither solely aimed at young people nor do they only function as a starting point in an individual’s career. ‘Skills for life’ means enabling individuals of all ages and backgrounds to gain the skills, knowledge and confidence they need to progress in both their lives and careers. This, in turn, also ensures businesses can access the skilled workforce they need to thrive.
The data from academic year 2023/24 illustrates the range of individuals undertaking apprenticeships:
The ‘skills for life’ focus supports the Government’s broader ambitions in terms of their five key missions. The mission to secure sustained economic growth, for example, requires a workforce that is adaptable, skilled, and ready for the challenges of a modern economy. Apprenticeships are at the forefront of this in that the knowledge, skills and behaviours developed by apprentices are informed by employer needs; providers constantly adapt their apprenticeship curricula to mirror the working practices of local employers.
Apprenticeships are also driving skills development across a wide range of sectors to meet the needs of a modern workforce. Linking to the Government’s mission to make Britain a clean energy superpower, this includes jobs needed for the ‘green transition’. Apprenticeships in jobs such as Low Carbon Heating Technician are essential in providing the skills needed as we embed sustainability across our economy. Similarly, apprenticeships in healthcare and allied professions are supporting the mission to build an NHS fit for the future by developing existing employees, recruiting increased numbers of new staff and reshaping the workforce to anticipate service need and avoid skills shortages. The NHS Long term Workforce Plan aims to provide 22 per cent of all training for clinical staff through apprenticeship routes by 2031/32, up from just seven per cent currently.
The theme of ‘skills for life’ is, therefore, reflected across Government priorities. This was reinforced in the initial report from the new government body, Skills England, (Sept 2024) which outlined the current skills the workforce is using, as well as skills gaps and future skills needs. The report highlighted the role of apprenticeships, in particular, in meeting these skills needs.
In order to support the skills and training that jobs require, the Government continues to show its commitment to apprenticeships and is introducing a set of reforms that will replace the current model of levy funding and introduce new foundation apprenticeships for young people. Apprenticeships will therefore remain a key driver of economic growth and an important component of the labour force.
In the academic year 2023/24, 339,580 people started an apprenticeship and there were 178,220 successful completions
The challenge, therefore, remains not in recruiting people to undertake an apprenticeship, but in supporting them to complete successfully. Achievement rates have increased but are still some way from the Government’s stretching target of 67% for 2025. The recently published results of the BIG Apprentice survey 2024 provide some potential insight as to why apprentices might not be completing their studies. Of the 2,000 apprentices surveyed, 62% reported feeling stressed or anxious in the previous 12 months, with work/life balance and concerns about their end-point assessment being the main causes.
Nonetheless, the voices of these apprentices also reinforce the benefits of their apprenticeship in developing skills for life, with 74% valuing the opportunity to gain work experience alongside a qualification, 51% citing its importance in career progression, and 36% claiming they would not be working in their current industry without access to an apprenticeship.
As the Government continues to drive quality improvement across apprenticeships, ensuring the highest quality of teaching and training through continuing professional development (CPD) opportunities is vital. CPD programmes such as the Apprenticeship Workforce Development programme – with a strategic focus on retention, timely completion and achievement outcomes – are a key part of efforts to ensure that every apprentice has the best experience on their apprenticeship, equipping them to take the next step in their lives and careers.
The fully-funded Apprenticeship Workforce Development (AWD) programme – delivered by ETF in partnership with the Association of Colleges (AoC), Association of Employment and Learning Providers (AELP), Strategic Development Network (SDN), and the University Vocational Awards Council (UVAC) – supports apprenticeship training providers and employers to ensure apprentices receive a high-quality end-to-end experience. Find out more about the AWD programme on ETF’s apprenticeships webpage.