TRAINING & DEVELOPMENT
THE VALUE OF APPRENTICESHIPS
Mark Botha, CEO of Paragon Skills, reflects on a period of significant change for the care sector, the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead, and how apprenticeships can help both the sector and its workforce prepare for the future.
access to care services. Labour’s pledge to reform care funding and introduce new workforce development initiatives will further impact the sector in the coming years.
This is in addition to changes in government-backed training and apprenticeship programmes aimed at upskilling care professionals. The expansion of apprenticeships will play a pivotal role in meeting workforce shortages, improving service delivery, and addressing the increasing demand for skilled care workers.
According to the Department of Health and Social Care, the sector will need to recruit an additional 150,000 workers in the next five years to meet the growing demands of the aging population and increased reliance on care services.
RISING PRESSURES
Following the Labour Party’s success in the 2024 general election, a renewed spotlight has been placed on the care sector, as the new government, back in power for the first time in 14 years, sets out its spending plans and ambitious targets for the years ahead.
In December, the prime minister Sir Keir Starmer outlined his ‘plan for change’ the six milestones that the voting public will measure his government against at the next election.
The plan included a pledge to improve workforce development and retention within the care sector to meet the growing demand for quality care services. With an aging population and increasing care needs, the government’s focus on enhancing workforce readiness is a crucial step forward, ensuring that care workers are equipped with the necessary skills to deliver high- quality support to service users.
However, for a sector already under increasing pressure, it is critical that care practitioners receive the support and investment needed, not only to meet current targets but also to adapt to new and evolving challenges.
A CHANGING LANDSCAPE
According to its latest annual report on social care spending in England, the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) states that total spending on adult social care has steadily increased over the years, reaching £23bn in today’s prices.
The care sector has undergone significant transformation in recent years, partly due to evolving policies aimed at improving
34 “The IFS report highlights that
between 2016-17 and 2022-23, care providers’ costs grew by 25% primarily due to staffing expenses, alongside rising energy, rent, and food costs.”
increases in the minimum wage, as outlined in Labour’s Autumn Budget, will particularly impact lower-paid care workers and organisations employing a high number of staff.
Additionally, care providers of all sizes are grappling with the challenges surrounding the provision of specialist care. Reports indicate a growing need for dementia care, mental health support, and complex needs care, further increasing pressure on service providers and care workers.
www.tomorrowscare.co.uk
The care sector is responding to these latest government policies amidst a backdrop of increasing operational costs and staffing shortages. The IFS report highlights that between 2016-17 and 2022-23, care providers’ costs grew by 25% primarily due to staffing expenses, alongside rising energy, rent, and food costs.
From April 2025, care providers must also account for additional costs associated with new business tax regulations. Changes to employers’ national insurance contributions (NICs) and
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