In my February comment I spoke about the importance of apprenticeships as not only a way to begin a career, but for those wanting to upskill. So I was pretty surprised to hear that the UK Government is withdrawing funding from 16 apprenticeship standards fromSeptember of this year. A recent release from Arden University (
https://arden.ac.uk/) entitled
‘Navigatingthelatestapprenticeshipfundingchallenges’ begins by stating: ‘The government’s latest skills funding update may have caused some uncertainty for businesses that rely on apprenticeships to upskill their workforce. With 16 apprenticeship standards due to be defunded by December this year, many businesses are seeking clarity around exactly what’s changing and how they can adapt’. The Government is phasing out funding for several leadership and
leespring.co.uk
management programmes, including: Team Leader / Supervisor (Level 3); Operations or Departmental Manager (Level 5); and Chartered Manager Degree Apprenticeship (Level 6). However, according to Steven Hurst, director of Corporate Partnerships at Arden University: “While funding for broad management degrees is off the table, highly specific, technical and project-focused apprenticeships remain fully funded. A perfect example is the Level 6 Project Manager apprenticeship.” He added: “By pivoting your strategy to focus on specific technical skills and entry-level talent,
Please turn to page 13
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you can take full advantage of the new system, secure generous funding grants and build a resilient workforce for the future.” The full press release can be found on our website, but it would be great to hear your thoughts on this. Send an email to
rmorling@datateam.co.uk. Meanwhile, the growing importance of AI in industry is gaining headlines. According to a recent study,
however, UK industry risks falling behind in AI-driven manufacturing, andmany European companies are taking a ‘rather cautious’ approach and only using AI on a pilot basis (see news story on page 7). Despite this, the applications are growing. As can be seen in our cover story this month (page 13), for example, integrating AI into medical software has the potential to enhance diagnosis, personalise treatments and streamline workflows. AI outputs must, however, be regulated to ensure they are accurate and safe. AI is moving into all sectors, but as an Editor I can assure you that the information in Design Solutions
is not AI-generated and is fromtrusted sources. The First Friday Press Club, the UK’s only monthly industrial and technical media briefing and one which I regularly attend, celebrates its 30th anniversary this year and recently highlighted the importance of genuine content. Neil Fullbrook, director of editor engagement, commented: “When I started in PR and comms in the late 80’s it was normal for PR teams to brief journalists face to face. Starting, building andmaintaining relationships with the media, based on trust, was key to breaking through the noise... Deep fake videos, unverified online news and AI-created misinformation and hallucinations pose serious risks to every organisation and to humanity.” “Journalists and Editors are the human gatekeepers to ensure authentic information reaching their readers,” Fullbrook added.
Rachael Morling
Jordan Tait Claire Noe
Curwood CMS
T: 01622 687031 T: 01622 699139 T: 01622 607963 T: 01580 883844
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rmorling@datateam.co.uk E:
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