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SKILLS AND APPRENTICESHIPS
CREATING OPPORTUNITY FOR OUR YOUNG PEOPLE
By Dr Michele Lawty-Jones, director, Lancashire Skills and Employment Hub
With a strong legacy of apprenticeships in Lancashire local employers are watching carefully the recent announcements from government and proposals to change the current Apprenticeship Levy to a Skills and Growth Levy.
While the implications of the proposed changes are not yet clear, the government is keen to boost opportunities for young people.
Proposed changes include the opportunity for employers to spend their levy on more flexible types of training, including new foundation apprenticeships for those not ready to start a Level 2 or 3 standard, and shorter apprenticeships that last less than the current 12 month minimum.
The government is also proposing to cut Level 7 qualifications, with an expectation that employers will fund more of these themselves and direct their levy towards early career development, as opposed to upskilling experienced members of staff.
The new body ‘Skills England’, which will be responsible for identifying skills priorities for the levy, is seeking to work with local areas to draw through local priorities, with the interim
chair, Richard Pennycook, keen to transform, in partnership with employers, the pool of talent available.
At the recent annual Lancashire Skills Pledge celebration, businesses were keen to stress the benefits of investing in early careers – saying that by working together, we can create a better pool of talent.
with the latter now accounting for over a third of apprenticeship starts in Lancashire – the number has doubled since 2017/18 with nearly 3,900 starts in 2023/24.
We have also seen a reduction in the number of 16 and 18-year-olds leaving education moving into apprenticeships. The proposed reforms have the potential to redress the balance and
In Lancashire, each year, there are between 10,500 and 11,000 apprenticeship starts, this
includes new recruits, and existing employees who are upskilling through apprenticeships
In Lancashire, each year, there are between 10,500 and 11,000 apprenticeship starts, this includes new recruits, and existing employees who are upskilling through apprenticeships.
Nationally and in Lancashire, we have seen a decline in Level 2 opportunities, with only one in five starts now at Level 2, with growth in higher and degree equivalent apprenticeships,
support employers to focus on early careers to boost their home-grown talent pipeline.
Alongside the government’s proposed Youth Guarantee, referenced in the recent ‘Get Britain Working’ white paper, the Skills and Growth Levy has the potential to reverse the decline in apprenticeships for younger people and give greater opportunity to grow our talent base.
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