Columnist

Apprenticeships: Invest in talent or keep chasing it

I’ve had the same conversation with employers across the UK for years; they just can’t seem to find the right people.

Whether it’s engineering, hospitality, digital, health and social care or professional services, skills shortages have become one of the biggest barriers to growth.

Businesses are competing for the same experienced candidates, vacancies are taking longer to fill and organisations are paying more to recruit talent that's increasingly difficult to find.

From this month, employers have a genuine opportunity to tackle that challenge differently.

The latest apprenticeship reforms are significant. 

Non-levy employers will benefit from fully funded apprenticeship training for eligible learners aged under 25, while wider changes to levy funding, expiry periods and employer co-investment will reshape how organisations invest in workforce development.

Importantly, the reforms don’t stop with employers.

The Government has also announced a new apprenticeship bursary worth up to £4500 per year for eligible families receiving Universal Credit. 

For too long, some young people have faced a difficult choice between pursuing an apprenticeship and the potential financial impact on their household.

Removing that barrier sends an important message: apprenticeships should be an accessible option for every talented young person, regardless of their family’s circumstances.

At Smart Start Careers, we believe the bigger story is mindset.

For too long, many organisations have viewed apprenticeships as simply a way to fill vacancies. 

The most successful businesses I work with don’t do that. 

They see apprenticeships as part of a long-term growth strategy, helping them develop future managers, technicians, specialists and leaders from within. 

That’s a very different conversation.

As technology transforms industries and artificial intelligence reshapes jobs at an unprecedented pace, businesses can no longer assume they'll simply recruit the skills they need tomorrow. 

Many of those skills don’t fully exist yet, while others are evolving faster than traditional recruitment can keep up with.

The organisations that thrive over the next decade will be those that build adaptable workforces rather than constantly buying in experience. 

These reforms make that approach more accessible, while also giving more young people the confidence that an apprenticeship is a viable route into a rewarding career.

For smaller businesses, removing the cost of apprenticeship training for eligible young people reduces one of the biggest barriers to investment. 

It creates an opportunity to recruit on potential rather than experience, giving employers the chance to shape talent from the beginning.

Young people gain valuable workplace experience, nationally recognised qualifications and the confidence that comes from building a career with real purpose, while employers gain loyal, motivated individuals who develop alongside their business rather than arriving with habits shaped elsewhere.

With levy funds now expiring after just 12 months instead of 24, there is far less room for apprenticeship planning to sit on the ‘to-do’ list. 

Every pound left unused is investment that could have strengthened future capability, improved productivity or developed the next generation of skilled employees.

In today’s economy, allowing levy funding to expire isn't an option. 

Business leaders must understand where future skills gaps are emerging, identify succession risks, recognise which roles are becoming increasingly difficult to recruit externally and consider where apprenticeships can support business resilience.

Careers education is vital at this stage. 

Young people cannot aspire to opportunities they don’t know exist.

Too many talented students remain unaware of the breadth of careers available beyond the professions they see every day. 

Stronger collaboration between employers, schools and training providers has never been more important if we're serious about building sustainable talent pipelines.

Equally, employers need to think differently about how they engage with the next generation. 

Today’s school leavers consume information differently, research opportunities online and expect authentic insight into workplaces. 

Organisations that embrace modern, digital engagement will have a significant advantage in attracting emerging talent.

Recent reforms represent a stronger commitment to making apprenticeships more accessible for both employers and young people. 

The businesses that respond quickest will create stronger succession plans, retain knowledge more effectively, build cultures of continuous learning and develop workforces equipped for whatever the future brings.

In a world where technology is changing faster than job descriptions can keep up, investing in people has become one of the safest strategic decisions any business can make.

And now, employers have more support than ever to do exactly that. 

The question isn’t whether apprenticeships have changed. It’s whether businesses are prepared to change with them.

Joanne Leniewski is the founder and chief executive of Hexham-based Smart Start Careers

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