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SKILLS


eat in the day; they’ve still got to get to work. In some areas, they’ll still need to buy clothes.


The kicker to all that is that the family themselves lose their Family Allowance because the young person has gone on an apprenticeship rather than full time education.


Date: 28 April 2026 Time: 08.30-11.00


Venue: Dunkenhalgh Hotel and Spa


Join decision-makers implementing AI and automation, and those considering their next steps.


Hear from business leaders and specialist practitioners on what is working, what is challenging, and how organisations are adopting new technologies while managing risk.


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For sponsorship and exhibition options, contact Joanne Hindley on 07442 949697 or joanne@lancashirebusinessview.co.uk


Brought to you by: PRESENT:


Richard Slater, Lancashire Business View (Chair) Sophie Addison, Addison Academy Neil Burrows, Burnley College Nicola Clayton, Blackburn College Linda Dean, Lancashire IOT Sara Gaskell, Lancashire Skills Hub Emma Guthrie, Addison Project Martin Blunt, University of Lancashire Robin Lindsay, North Lancs Training Group Maria Rogers, Leyland Trucks


In association with:


Carolann Thompson, Amplify Business Success Steve Wood, University of Cumbria Andrew Dewhurst, East Lancashire Learning Group


Linzi Monks, Preston College Sarah Hall, Blackpool and The Fylde College


Linzi Monks, director of apprenticeships and employer engagement, Preston College


When it comes to 16-18-year-old apprentices, one of the problems is they’re not supported by government in the same way as those in full-time education, in terms of things like bursaries, free meals at college and travel allowances; loads of different things.


For those who manage to get taken on by a large levy company, sometimes their packages can be much better and their families can sustain the fact that they’ve taken an apprenticeship. But they’ve still got to make sure they’ve got food to


All that has a real impact on 16-18’s taking up apprenticeships. It’s a massive barrier. Throughout the workforce we should be using apprenticeships and other types of learning to upskill people.


Emma Guthrie, HR and L&D manager, Addison Project


Apprentices come from school straight into the workplace and we’ve found over the past few years that they’re just not ready for it. Absenteeism was high because they were so tired.


So, we’ve gone back to the college, and we work on it individually. We’ve got an apprentice at the moment doing six weeks in work, six at college, and that has helped him.


Looking after our apprentices is a small part of my job but it is getting bigger because we’re having to look for funding and liaise with the colleges and universities.


We’ve had a couple of degree apprentices and it’s The feedback that we get from employers


is there’s just so much out there that they just don’t have the bandwidth to be able to focus on everything all at once


Steve Wood, employer engagement manager, University of Cumbria


There’s so much noise out there. We’re talking to schools, we’re talking to employers about skills, but then there’s somebody else with another initiative talking about funding or talking about exporting or some other form of advice.


The feedback that we get from employers is there’s just so much out there that they just don’t have the bandwidth to be able to focus on everything all at once.


Again, with learners, there’s so much choice, so much information blasted at them. It’s absolutely terrifying. You see our graduates coming out thinking, ‘I’ve just done three years of a business degree, I don’t really know what I’m going to do’.


Learners need to be aware of the real benefits of working for small organisations, because your availability and access to different skill levels are so much wider. The question I would ask decision makers and policy makers is, do they really understand what businesses want? I suggest they get a little bit closer.


really difficult, because if they’re in the middle of a project and suddenly, they’re going to university or having to study for an exam and we’re giving them time to do that, they can’t dedicate the time to their on-the-job training and to our projects.


We then have to bring somebody else in because we’re releasing them, so it’s about awareness.


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