This is the Time for Apprenticeships to Fly

Apprenticeships are key to rebuilding opportunity in places like Peterborough. How can we make them the engine of social mobility again?

25 March 2025

By Kirstie Donnelly, CEO of City & Guilds

In our latest episode of In Conversation With… I had the pleasure of sitting down with Andrew Pakes MP, Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Apprenticeships, to explore the vital role that apprenticeships play in the UK’s skills landscape. As we navigate a changing economy and address critical skills shortages, Andrew makes a compelling case for why now is the time for apprenticeships to truly take flight.

A Personal Connection to Apprenticeships

Andrew brings a deeply personal perspective to the conversation. Coming from a family with strong vocational roots—his relatives having worked as boilermakers, sheet metal workers, and in the rail industry—he understands the transformative power of skills-based education. This lived experience underpins his passionate advocacy for technical education as a pathway to both economic renewal and social mobility.

Apprenticeships as a Cornerstone of Economic Growth

The discussion touched on the widening economic divide between areas like Cambridge, with its world-leading innovation economy, and nearby Peterborough, where many workers face insecure, low-paid employment. This stark contrast highlights the urgent need for a national skills strategy that regenerates communities hit hardest by the decline of traditional industries. Apprenticeships, Andrew argues, are a crucial mechanism for addressing these imbalances—creating opportunities, restoring pride in skilled work, and ensuring businesses can access the talent they need to thrive.

Reforming the Apprenticeship Levy

One of the most significant developments in recent years has been the evolution of the apprenticeship levy into a broader growth and skills levy. Andrew acknowledged that while the levy was created with good intentions, its initial implementation was cumbersome. Now, with the introduction of Skills England and greater flexibility around English and maths requirements, there is an opportunity to make apprenticeships more accessible and aligned with labour market needs.

Shifting the Cultural Perception of Apprenticeships

A key challenge to expanding apprenticeship participation remains the persistent cultural bias towards university education. Despite the impressive array of careers now available through apprenticeships—from engineering to animal management, airline pilots to chocolatiers—many parents and sections of the media continue to view apprenticeships as a second-class option. Andrew emphasised the need for a cultural shift that places technical and vocational education on equal footing with academic pathways.

Prioritising Levels 2-4 for Maximum Impact

The discussion also addressed the government’s focus on Levels 2-4 in apprenticeship funding. While Level 7 apprenticeships have undeniable value, Andrew supports the government’s “razor-like focus” on ensuring strong provision at these lower levels, which he describes as the “engine room” of economic transformation. Reversing the worrying decline in apprenticeship starts at these levels is essential to equipping young people and career changers with the skills needed for the future workforce.

Supporting Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises

For small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), which form the backbone of the British economy, engaging with the apprenticeship system can be particularly challenging. Andrew highlighted the need for more flexible models, such as modular learning approaches or collaborative training initiatives where groups of employers can share apprenticeship responsibilities. Such innovations could help overcome the resource constraints that often prevent SMEs from participating fully in apprenticeship schemes.

A National Mission for Skills

As our conversation concluded, it was clear that apprenticeships must become a central pillar in Britain’s national mission to rebuild its economy and create pathways to prosperity for working-class communities. This requires not just policy adjustments but a cultural transformation—one that values technical excellence, champions apprenticeships as a high-quality career route, and ensures that businesses of all sizes can benefit from a strong and responsive skills system.

The time for apprenticeships to fly is now.

Listen to the full episode