London university receives top Ofsted marks for degree apprenticeships

A London university has been awarded an ‘outstanding’ rating by Ofsted in its first full inspection.

In the watchdog’s report published today, Queen Mary University of London received top marks across all areas after inspectors found the leaders worked “effectively” with big-name employers to tailor its apprenticeships to meet skills needs and recruited students from under-represented groups.

At the time of inspection, Queen Mary University of London had 436 apprentices studying standards from level 4 to level 7 in sectors such as digital, healthcare and financial services.

Queen Mary University of London has been delivering degree apprenticeships since 2015, when it was one of the first higher education institutions to do so.

Ofsted inspectors praised the Russell Group university for working “very effectively” with prestigious organisations to tailor the content of its curriculum to meet skills gaps.

Dr Philippa Lloyd, Queen Mary’s VP policy and strategic partnerships, said: “We are very proud of the employers we partner with on our degree apprenticeship programmes, including Goldman Sachs, Amazon, KPMG and PwC and the NHS.” 

The watchdog also found the university designed its recruitment processes to ensure apprentices from under-represented groups and disadvantaged backgrounds have access to higher education.

“As a result, some apprentices embark on careers that they did not think were open to them such as being senior economic advisers,” the report said.

Professor Colin Bailey, president and principal of Queen Mary University said he was pleased that Ofsted recognised the university’s efforts to promote social mobility, diversity and inclusion.

“Our vision at Queen Mary is to open the doors of opportunity to any student with the potential to succeed,” he said.

Bailey added:  “This independent in-depth evaluation by the regulator demonstrates the excellent education that is delivered by our staff.”

Degree apprenticeship students were found to have “exceptionally positive” attitudes towards their studies, develop substantial new knowledge and skills and are fully included in the university community.

Ofsted also noted that leaders have made “significant investments” into their apprenticeship provision and accountability and scrutiny at the highest level results in leaders responding “swiftly” to make improvements.

Inspectors also praised the provider for delivering “demanding and ambitious teaching” that challenges apprentices and for employing “highly qualified” tutors with extensive industry experience.

The report said: “Tutors use their knowledge and experience to inspire apprentices. For example, they give expert guidance to digital and technology solutions professionals to help them evaluate software projects and develop holistic perspectives on software engineering.”

Professor Stephanie Marshall, Queen Mary’s VP education said: “It demonstrates the quality of our educators who teach our degree apprentices alongside our undergraduate and postgraduate degree students. I could not be more proud.”

Stop depleting your cash reserves, Legrave tells colleges

The FE commissioner has urged colleges to stop running their cash reserves down “too fast”.

Shelagh Legrave spoke to FE Week about the key trends her team found when investigating the reasons behind the latest batch of government financial notices to improve.

Rising costs have had an impact, as have restrictions imposed on the FE sector from reclassification to the public sector, namely the ban on revolving credit facilities. But the main cause leading to intervention is cash flow pressures caused by poor strategies.

Legrave said: “The key reason is a lack of focus on cash. Colleges have run their reserves down too fast and then something unexpected happens and they don’t have a contingency.”

She pointed out it’s also not only small colleges working on the tightest margins that are running into trouble.

Warwickshire College Group (WCG) with a turnover of £50 million was hit with a notice to improve this year due to “serious cash flow pressures”.

The FE Commissioner’s team will publish their report after investigating the reasons for WCG’s issues in the coming months. Legrave said the college’s financial strategy was “interesting” and “wouldn’t be one that I would have followed”.

Revolving credit ban

She also told FE Week that one of the biggest challenges she sees is capital cash, and restrictions on using a revolving credit facility from a bank has “really hurt colleges”.

Legrave said the Department for Education had “done its best” by introducing the college capital loans scheme to fill this gap, but admitted this is not a “proper lending facility”.

The FE Commissioner acknowledged a lack of pay settlement for FE was also an issue as there is a “necessity” to pay certain teachers “a lot of money” in skills shortage areas.

“Very high” agency costs are a related problem. She said: “They [leaders] can’t persuade the individuals to come on to the books of the college, but at the same time, it’s costing them an enormous amount.”

Legrave said her message to colleges seeking avoid financial intervention would be: “Try to ensure you have a reservoir of cash that you won’t go below. Also ensure that you are very clear on your financial strategy. If you combine both of those you should be OK. If you’re really worried about it, please ask for help early.”

Severance pitfalls

The commissioner also called colleges out for falling foul of severance agreement rules, imposed as a result of the 2022 public sector reclassification.

Approvals must now be sought for severance payments of £50,000 or more, where they are equal to three months’ salary or more, an exit package of £100,000 or more, or where the employee earns over £150,000.

FE Week reported earlier this year on how waiting times for approvals from the Treasury were taking months longer than expected.

Legrave suggested that some colleges are confused about when to apply for severance approval and have run into trouble with the government.

She said: “If the severance payment is over and above three months’ salary, then you have to get Treasury clearance for it.

“I know as a previous principal that you have tricky cases occasionally, and it could be somebody, let’s say a teaching assistant who is earning quite a small amount of money. So if you multiply three months, even if it isn’t a huge amount of money, you still need to get approval.

“It’s just understanding the rules. Where some colleges have fallen foul, they didn’t read the financial handbook and realise that they needed approval before they did it. Lack of knowledge isn’t a defence.”

College teacher pay snub goes legal

A judicial review into the decision to snub colleges from this summer’s 5.5 per cent school teacher pay award has been launched, FE Week has learned.

The legal challenge was filed by the Sixth Form Colleges Association in a bid to “redress the imbalance” ministers created.

The body, which speaks for 80 members but is fighting for all 200-odd colleges in England, will claim the government’s decision to award £1.2 billion to schools to increase pay in 2024/25 but not their counterparts in colleges was unlawful and irrational.

SFCA will challenge ministers’ defence that the government is not responsible for setting pay in colleges, namely because FE is outside the scope of the School Teacher Pay Review Body, and could not afford to include colleges in the funding.

A key argument will be that academies were counted in the settlement even though they, like colleges, are not in the remit of the pay review body.

The action comes as sixth-form college teachers prepare to hold three days of strikes over the fiasco, led by the National Education Union.

SFCA chief executive Bill Watkin (pictured right) said: “SFCA has been working hard to reach a satisfactory solution in this matter but we took the decision to seek a judicial review on the basis we had been left with no choice. 

“This is not a course of action that we embarked on lightly, and it is one we have tried to keep confidential.”

An email from the association to members, seen by FE Week, said there was “emphatic and unanimous support for bringing a claim for judicial review” during a meeting of its council on October 10.

FE Week understands the case was officially filed on October 25 and the government’s lawyers must provide a response by Wednesday. At that point, unless SFCA is satisfied by the nature of the response, the claim will be laid before a judge, who will rule after a process that can take months.

‘Farcical situation’

On July 29 chancellor Rachel Reeves accepted the School Teachers’ Review Body’s recommendation of a 5.5 per cent pay rise for school staff, equivalent to an increase of over £2,500 for the average teacher.

To help fund this the government handed out £1.2 billion in additional cash to schools, starting from September 1. Colleges were offered no funding for pay and fear the already large £9,000 pay gap between their staff and schools will be exacerbated.

Education secretary Bridget Phillipson (pictured left) and her team of ministers’ excuse has been that colleges are not in scope of the pay review body’s remit and the government therefore does not decide pay in further education settings.

Despite this, academy schools and 16-to-19 academies, which are also not in the scope of the pay review body, were included in the £1.2 billion settlement. The pay-rise funding is also for support staff, who, again, are not part of the pay review body.

It has led to what the NEU called a “farcical situation” where staff in England’s 40 sixth-form colleges that converted to academy status benefit from the 5.5 per cent pay award but 40 autonomous sixth-form colleges do not.

On top of this, sixth-form colleges along with general FE colleges were reclassified as public sector institutions by the government in November 2022, imposing a series of strict controls around borrowing, governance and other areas, similar to what schools have to abide by.

Reeves did announce an additional £300 million for FE at last month’s budget, but the funding isn’t expected to kick in until the start of the new financial year in April and is likely to fund projected demographic increases in 16-to-19 students.

SFCA told members it had hoped the government would take the opportunity to also fund the pay rise in colleges “without losing face” but has found “no choice but to press ahead” with the judicial review.

It added: “Both schools and colleges deliver a state-funded education to young people, and sit in the public sector. There is no logical reason to distinguish between them.”

Watkin told FE Week that colleges need an “urgent solution” and “simply cannot wait for the spending review” to see if their institutions are offered new funding for pay.

The next steps for the judicial review, likely to cost tens of thousands of pounds, include gaining formal permission from a judge to move towards a hearing.

The DfE declined to comment.

Good work: What young people really want from labour reforms

On 10 October, the government released their plans to ‘make work pay’ in the new Employment Rights Bill. Now, in partnership with Workwhile, Youth Futures Foundation has released a new definition of ‘good work’, uniquely shaped by young people.

In the words of young people who participated in this co-creation project:

Good work means feeling valued, fulfilled and supported. It means being respected and treated fairly in a workplace that is diverse and inclusive, where there is open and honest communication and decent pay.

Good work is done to a high standard and gives you a sense of achievement. It happens in a place where you can make change happen, and where everyone has a voice.

Good work protects your health and wellbeing. You’re excited to tell your friends and family about good work, not because they ask but because you’re proud of it.

A staging post

The past decade has seen increased attention to the concept of ‘good work’ and its importance for wellbeing and living standards.

As the national What Works Centre for youth employment, we know that young people, particularly those from marginalised backgrounds, are disproportionately affected by barriers to accessing and maintaining good jobs.

In 2024 in the UK, 1 in 8 young people are not in education, employment or training. Yet, until now, young people’s experiences have been largely absent from discussions of what constitutes ‘good work’.

That’s why Youth Futures commissioned Workwhile to collaborate with a diverse group of young people to co-create this definition. It is a foundational staging post in our ongoing work to develop a comprehensive, data-driven understanding of what makes good work for young people and how it can be accessed.

A complex picture

Between now and the implementation of the proposed Employment Rights measures in August 2026, youth voice and the ever-growing evidence base on what works in youth employment has a vital role to play.

Several of the proposed reforms will impact young people more than other groups in the labour market. Namely, the rise in minimum wage for young people; the introduction of greater day-one rights; and the ban on exploitative zero-hours contacts.

Evidence shows, for example, that while 1 in 50 older workers are employed on zero-hours contracts, this figure soars to 1 in 8 for young people.

And the situation is complex, with many young people sharing that the option of flexible working arrangements is important for them despite the risks that exist, especially for those in low-wage occupations.

Youth voice will be vital in facilitating the effective implementation of such policy changes.

A policy crossroads

With young people’s experiences and perspectives front of mind, and accompanied by effective job support and skills development, the proposed measures have the potential to improve equality and job security, ensuring more young people can achieve good work.

Evidence compiled in our Youth Employment 2024 Outlook Report shows that this will in turn bring huge benefits for employers and the economy. If the rates of young people not earning or learning are reduced to those seen in the Netherlands, UK GDP could be increased by £69 billion.

But, without sufficient attention to young people’s needs or the value they bring, the new measures could have the opposite effect: a reduction in young people accessing and thriving in good work, and a further increase in youth unemployment.

We are pleased government is committed to continued consultation and that they will introduce other welfare and skills reforms like the youth guarantee. We will consistently strive to keep youth voice front and centre, to seize this opportunity to improve job prospects and employment rights for marginalised young people.

One thing highlighted by the new definition and through our project with Workwhile is that young people want to make a difference and do a good job.

This should spur employers and policy makers to continue listening to young people, and to develop policy and practice that supports them to thrive and reach their full potential.

Level 7 at the crossroads: lessons from solicitor apprenticeships

The solicitor apprenticeship programme offers valuable insights into the broader potential and challenges of Level 7 apprenticeships across professional sectors. As policy makers consider fundamental changes to higher-level apprenticeship funding, the legal sector’s experience provides crucial lessons for the future of professional skills development.

Evidence of impact and demand

The legal sector demonstrates how higher-level apprenticeships can transform professional education. Data from training provider Datalaw reveals compelling evidence of both demand and social impact for their solicitor apprenticeships, with over 1,000 new registrants for 2024/25 cohorts in six months.

Beyond the raw number of applicants, their demographics tell a powerful story:

  • 54 per cent of apprentices are aged 18-25, showing strong youth engagement
  • 42 per cent are from minority groups, demonstrating improved diversity
  • 34 per cent are from the most deprived areas, indicating social mobility impact
  • 86 per cent are from co-funded organisations, proving employer buy-in

These figures demonstrate not only the programme’s popularity but its success in reaching traditionally under-represented groups in the legal profession.

Policy implications

The current debate around Level 7 apprenticeship funding has implications far beyond the legal sector. The programme demonstrates several key principles relevant to other professional sectors:

Employer engagement

The high proportion of co-funded apprenticeships shows how the levy can effectively engage employers in professional skills development. This engagement is crucial for ensuring training meets industry needs while maintaining professional standards.

Social mobility

Significant participation from under-represented groups proves that higher-level apprenticeships can break down traditional barriers to professional careers. This success provides a model for other sectors seeking to diversify their workforce.

Skills integration

The programme successfully combines theoretical knowledge with practical application, offering a template for other professional qualifications. This integration ensures apprentices develop both technical expertise and practical competencies.

A policy challenge

The programme’s impact is particularly evident in how it opens up the legal profession to diverse candidates. Madison Earl, a solicitor apprentice at Sills & Betteridge LLP, exemplifies the transformative potential of these programmes.

“As a young working mother, I never imagined a career in law was possible,” she explains. “The apprenticeship has opened doors I thought were permanently closed to me.”

Her ability to balance work, study and family life demonstrates how the apprenticeship model can create accessible pathways into professional careers that traditional routes might not offer.

So while current government discussions signal a potentially significant shift in apprenticeship policy, the reality is that plans to remove certain Level 7 apprenticeships from levy funding eligibility could significantly impact these successful programmes.

While budget management is important, the data suggests these programmes deliver substantial returns on investment through improved social mobility and professional development.

Learning the lessons

The solicitor apprenticeship experience offers several key insights for policy makers:

Data-driven results

The demographics prove these programmes simultaneously achieve multiple government priorities, among them increased youth employment, greater workforce diversity and regionally distributed social mobility.

Sector-specific consideration

The legal sector’s success suggests blanket approaches to Level 7 funding may risk losing effective programmes that have demonstrated clear social and economic benefits.

Social mobility impact

Funding changes should consider the demonstrated role of Level 7 apprenticeships in widening access to professional careers and creating sustainable pathways to social mobility.

As policy makers evaluate the future of Level 7 apprenticeships, the solicitor apprenticeship programme provides valuable evidence of what can be achieved through this model. The demonstrated success in attracting diverse talent, securing employer engagement and delivering effective professional training suggests that careful consideration should be given to how funding changes might affect these outcomes across all professional sectors.

The potential exists to replicate these achievements across other professional fields, creating a more inclusive and dynamic professional workforce for the future.

An evaluation of the apprenticeship levy framework is currently underway and will examine how funding will be allocated across training programs. The solicitor apprenticeship model illustrates key considerations in the process, including qualification requirements, delivery costs, resource distribution, and long-term workforce development objectives.

How we’re supporting NEET learners at Harlow College 

In Harlow, like the rest of the country, the number of NEETs (Not in Education, Employment, or Training) is growing. 

When you think of a NEET learner, you might think of a ‘trouble-maker’ from the PRU (Pupil Referral Unit), or a kid with ‘challenging’ behaviour, who’s been permanently excluded from school. 

What we’re finding are learners who have struggled with their mental health, who are overwhelmed or need a different approach. Some of our NEETs learners are surprisingly academic, but have lost their way. 

The rise in NEET numbers post-Covid is staggering. For many, the pandemic disrupted their education completely. Some missed months – if not years – of regular school attendance, and they’ve lost confidence in their ability to succeed. 

Some have challenging home lives, or have been knocked off course with mental health issues. The barriers to re-engaging these young people are significant. 

At Harlow College we have developed an initiative called ‘Choices’ to address these challenges. Choices is for young people who need a more supportive, nurturing environment to help them re-enter education.

As the name suggests, the whole idea is to give them options, supporting them to take control of their futures. 

A holistic approach 

From the moment a young person shows interest in joining us, we offer face-to-face enrolment and interviews. Meeting them in person helps us to build trust early on, to get to know them and understand their unique challenges. 

We want these young people to feel like they matter, that we care, and that we really are invested in their success. 

Once enrolled, our support continues on an individual level. They get a tour of the college, meet their lecturers and have extra time to familiarise themselves with their new environment.

These might seem like small details, but for learners with anxiety or those who’ve had a negative experience somewhere else, it makes a massive difference. 

Predictability and stability are important; learners know exactly what to expect from their college day, who they’ll be learning with and what their timetable looks like. 

One of the most important elements of the Choices programme is its flexibility. We offer two qualifications: Gateway Qualifications’ Level 1 progression diploma and a smaller, entry-level certificate.

For those who didn’t achieve any grades in school, the certificate offers a starting point. For those who may need more challenge, the diploma provides that extra stretch, without pushing them too quickly into mainstream education. 

On top of that, every Choices learner is given an iPad to use while they are with us. This ensures they have the tools they need to engage with learning and shows them that we really are invested in their success. 

And it’s working. Take, for example, one of our learners who joined us last year, unable to enter the classroom without a parent walking him to the door. Today, he’s thriving on a Level 3 gaming course – independent, confident, and engaged. 

A bridge to mainstream 

Our goal with Choices isn’t creating a stop-gap solution. We are giving young people the skills and confidence they need to move on to further levels of education or even into employment. 

They aren’t treated like second-class students; they have access to everything mainstream students do. They participate in enrichment activities, attend employer visits and take part in mainstream GCSE or functional skills maths and English classes. 

Colleges need to see the value in these learners. Today’s Level 1 students are tomorrow’s Level 3 learners. They may come to us needing a bit of extra support now, but if we don’t give them that, we’re missing out on the chance to nurture the next cohort of skilled, motivated learners in its full diversity.

Last year, the programme hosted 50 learners. This year, that number has more than doubled. Choices is a game-changer, for both the learners and the college. 

Your turn

We have just four tips for emulating our success:

  • Start small and be clear about your objectives 
  • Focus on building predictability and stability 
  • Make sure you’ve got the right staff in place
  • Adopt a flexible curriculum

Bootcamp ‘outcomes’ remained elusive in 2022-23, new figures show

Skills bootcamps failed to win jobs or progression at work for almost two thirds of learners in 2022-23, data released today suggests.

Department for Education figures for the third year of the scheme show 42,340 adults started the short training courses.

Of those, 15,580 (37 per cent) moved into a new job or apprenticeship, progressed in their current job or secured a new business opportunity if they were self-employed.

The figure is a 1 percentage point increase on the previous year, suggesting national performance did not improve despite the number of starts more than doubling from 18,110 in 2021-22.

The proportion of learners who finished their bootcamp was flat at two-thirds, which equated to 27,730 in 2022-23.

Inspired by coding bootcamps that emerged in the US in the 2010s, bootcamps are a new format of DfE-funded learning that involve training, work experience and a guaranteed job interview over a period of up to 16 weeks.

They aim to help people into sectors such as software development, data analysis, rail engineering, specialist welding, HGV driving and construction.

‘Patchy’ bootcamps data

Experts and bootcamp providers are positive about the upskilling potential of bootcamps but some question whether they should continue in their current form.

Simon Ashworth, deputy chief executive at the Association of Employment and Learning Providers, told FE Week the measures of success set by the government – which budgeted £500 million for bootcamps between 2020 and 2025 – are “too narrow” and fail to recognise the positive impact of bootcamps.

He said: “At our conference last week it was reassuring to hear there is ‘definitely a future’ for skills bootcamps and we look forward to working with the DfE on the evolution.”

Providers are paid for bootcamps in three “milestone” instalments based on learners’ performance, with the final conditional on whether positive outcomes such as a new job have been achieved.

Mark Dawe, chief executive of The Skills Network which delivers bootcamps in industries including cyber security and early years, said in his provider’s ‘good’ Ofsted report this year the inspectorate recognised “many of our bootcamp learners got positive outcomes, including jobs, [but] just didn’t meet the strict DfE contract criteria for payment”.

He added: “Having spent so much time and energy setting up these programmes we hope the local areas recognise these benefits and continue to support the bootcamp programmes.”

Stephen Evans, chief executive of Learning and Work Institute, agreed the principle of bootcamps, with focused training designed alongside employers and aiming for a guaranteed interview at the end, is “sound and indeed common in lots of other provision already”.

But his organisation’s research found “more than half of participants already have a higher education qualification” and data on impact and outcomes is “patchy at best”.

He said: “At a time of limited resources we should be focusing help where it’s most needed. The indicators are bootcamps are missing the mark.”

Today’s data, which covers courses that ended at least 20 months ago, comes two months after the DfE released 2021-22 data following a two-and-a-half-year delay blamed on Covid and the general election.

Chance to evolve

Last week, Kate Ridley-Moy, director of apprenticeships and skills bootcamps at the DfE, said there is “definitely a future” for the courses beyond their funding cut-off date in March.

She told the Association of Employment and Learning Providers autumn conference that the programmes could potentially “evolve” into a fundable option through the reformed growth and skills levy.

She said: “There definitely is a future for skills bootcamps. We’re also thinking about how, in a reformed growth and skills levy, there is a call for shorter courses for employed people.”

‘Consistent’ with other programmes

Ian Ross, chief executive officer of Whitehead-Ross Education which delivers bootcamps, said the proportion of learners progressing from a skills bootcamp into jobs is “consistent with national programmes from other government departments”.

He told FE Week that 36 per cent of Department for Work and Pensions Restart participants get a job, and added it was “always unrealistic” for the DfE to expect 75 per cent of skills bootcamps learners would progress to paid employment or in-work progression.

He said: “Whilst our own skills bootcamp delivery is doing better in comparison to these national figures with 42.3 per cent of learners progressing into employment, bootcamps are new for most providers like us.

“We started delivering bootcamps in October 2023 and are constantly learning what works best and evolving our delivery as each cohort finishes.”

A DfE spokesperson said: “This government is dedicated to breaking down barriers to opportunity, by expanding accessible, targeted training that benefits both workers and businesses, ensuring everyone has the chance to develop and succeed in a changing economy.

“Skills Bootcamps continue to equip thousands with critical skills to unlock new career opportunities, whilst bridging essential skills gaps and driving local economic growth.

“We will build on lessons learned from past delivery and strengthen the programme’s impact to further develop Skills Bootcamps and expand flexible training for adults.”

Industry and FE must collaborate to make levy reform work

The recent autumn budget has signalled a significant shift in the UK’s approach to workforce training. This presents real opportunities for further education (FE) providers and industries facing skills gaps, as long as companies don’t lose sight of the core benefits apprenticeships bring.

The new government’s proposal to evolve the current apprenticeship levy into a growth and skills levy is ambitious, with companies now able to spend up to 50 per cent of their levy funds on training initiatives outside the traditional apprenticeship structure.

But while this proposal introduces much-needed flexibility, it’s essential to recognise it presents potential challenges as well as benefits.

For example, construction companies have long relied on structured, hands-on training to meet specific demands, and the growth and skills Levy opens exciting doors for FE providers to deliver targeted upskilling and more agile training models.

But if this is not carefully managed, there’s a risk that traditional apprenticeships could be overshadowed.

As industry demands continue to rapidly evolve, especially regarding both practical and digital skills, the new levy offers increased flexibility to address short term-skills gaps. With new levy funds allocated to shorter or targeted training programmes, companies can upskill employees quickly in response to project-specific demands.

The growth and skills levy is undoubtedly a positive step forward in this regard, but FE providers and industry partners must proceed thoughtfully.

One of the most significant achievements of the original apprenticeship levy was that it motivated companies to build training programmes that might not have otherwise existed.

These apprenticeships bring essential value to many industries, allowing young talent to develop skills gradually while simultaneously gaining practical experience in a real-world setting.

Traditional apprenticeships could be overshadowed

This is something that shorter courses often can’t replicate. If companies begin to divert too much funding away from traditional apprenticeships, this could weaken the programmes that FE providers and companies have previously invested in.

Therefore, it’s important that this model is still prioritised, balancing the flexibility of the new levy with the value apprenticeships bring.

One way to do this would be to ensure the new levy sparks the reintroduction of pre-apprenticeship programmes. Harnessed properly, these could further strengthen the skills pipeline.

Pre-apprenticeships offer younger students hands-on experience and early exposure to industry, and FE providers could play a pivotal role by aligning with companies to create pre-apprenticeship models that focus on building important foundation skills, which could improve recruitment and retention on these programmes.

Collaboration will be key to making this work. If FE providers and employers can jointly shape these programmes, they could become a valuable precursor to formal apprenticeships.

The success of apprenticeships is deeply rooted in strong collaboration between employers and providers. Strengthening the connection between them supports companies to tailor their approach and provide consistent support and feedback to aid apprentice growth. It also ensures apprentices receive both the academic and hands-on expertise they need to be successful.

The growth and skills levy allows companies to tap into a broader range of providers and course types, but with this flexibility comes the responsibility to uphold the high standards that make apprenticeships highly valuable.

Employers will need to choose courses that deliver relevant, high-quality training that aligns with industry standards. Equally, a range of learning options could feel daunting to FE providers, but if used strategically the new model could create a richer learning environment for all.

Reform of the levy represents a progressive step forward, aligning with the government’s broader economic goals as outlined in the autumn budget. It opens the door to address skills shortages, update training methods and support a workforce that must adapt to evolving needs.

To realise these opportunities, both FE providers and industry partners must strike a balance between the new flexibility the levy offers and the lasting benefits of traditional apprenticeships.

Government has unlocked the potential for greater innovation in and collaboration between FE providers and employers.

Now, it is up to FE providers and industry leaders to step up. By staying focused on quality and relevance, organisations can attract, train and retain skilled talent.

Skills England must cut through the red tape to close our skills gaps

In 1997, Tony Blair’s Labour manifesto said that the weakness of our industrial base was due to skills shortages. Thirteen years later, David Cameron’s Conservative manifesto said we needed to dramatically improve the skills of Britain’s workforce to compete. The skills challenge facing this government is nothing new, but we do need new ways to address it.

With the Chancellor’s continued commitment to establish Skills England and refocus the growth and skills levy through an additional £40 million investment in the government’s first budget, the spotlight is once again on how the UK can address its worsening skills gap.

This matters. The digital skills gap already costs the economy £63 billion a year in potential GDP according to the government’s own figures. A more flexible levy and a Skills England focused on cross-government coordination in partnership with both industry and education are a compelling way to address this.

While I understand some of the concerns over the independence of Skills England and use of the levy, we simply cannot go on as we are. Doing so risks creating a further disconnect between education and employment, making it harder to meet our pressing digital skills needs.

By focusing on non-traditional, flexible learning models, Skills England can carve its legacy in helping to address immediate skills shortages and upskilling the existing workforce to meet changing demands.

As one of the fastest-growing areas of the economy, there needs to be greater focus on creating pathways that allow individuals from all backgrounds to enter, and transition into the tech sector and tech-adjacent roles.

Digital skills should be integrated more thoroughly into national education policy, from primary school through to higher education and beyond, with more opportunities for adults to upskill and engage in training throughout their career.

Tech UK suggests the potential exists to create a further three million new technology jobs by 2025. In order to fill these roles with talent equipped with the right skills, Skills England needs to harness centralisation of decisions to implement faster changes to standards and qualifications.

We need to create more access points for new talent

Working in collaboration with business leaders and industry, it must increase flexibility in the design and delivery of courses which are eligible for levy funding.

The current apprenticeship levy is rigid and limits funding to accredited, long-set qualifications. This approach prevents innovation in skills training, especially in fast-moving sectors like tech, where the ability to quickly upskill is critical but the length of time to gain a qualification can sometimes be up to three years.

This investment is an opportunity for crucial reform to support flexible learning models, including short, non-accredited courses, to help businesses address immediate skills shortages. For this to work effectively, Skills England must have the authority to collaborate with industry and shape processes that are agile and responsive to the changing world.

It is no secret that skills demand outpaces supply. For this demand to be met, we need to create more access points for new talent to enter the field, and more opportunities for current employees to pivot into new tech careers to plug the skills gap, or upskill to meet the fast-changing demands of their role.

As a starting point, government policy should actively promote diversity, recognising that women remain under-represented – making up only 22 per cent of our IT professionals.

This limits the industry’s potential to innovate and grow. To change this, diverse talent pipelines must be nurtured from the school curriculum through to employment.

At Code First Girls, we have a 96 per cent conversion rate from education to job role. We have so far delivered over 200,000 opportunities to women and non-binary candidates to upskill in tech, working with over 130 clients to place these candidates into tech roles.

Our results are a testament to a successful model that realises the potential of forging partnerships that build regional tech talent pipelines and boost local economies by aligning training with business needs.

Flexibility, adaptability, and responsiveness to evolving business and economic needs is the only way we are going to close skills gaps, particularly in tech and digital skills.

The best way to achieve this is for Skills England to cut through the bureaucracy, backed by strong ministerial directives.