Apprenticeship Week: Is it all about the skills, stupid?

13th February 2025

As this week’s Apprenticeship Week highlights the importance of apprenticeship training to the UK economy, REDA CEO Nigel Horton-Baker reflects on the Chancellor’s recent report on the issue and Reading’s record.

It was interesting to read Rachel Reeves’ report to the Commons Committee about the importance of investing in skills, especially in digital and green skills, while reflecting on the important work we are doing in Reading to invest in people and their skills.

Despite automation and much talk about AI, which will bring benefits to the way we work and the type of work we do, we do need to keep investing in reskilling and up-skilling. Not surprisingly, the last Reading Economic Framework we published was called ‘Reading Powered by People’.

I’m pleased to say that REDA is ahead of the game, publishing two key reports on green economy skills and film screen skills, both of which are increasingly dependent on the application of digital skills. REDA is also cited as a lead partner in the development of green skills in the Pan Berkshire Economic Strategy, adopted by the Berkshire Prosperity Board. We reported that relevant parts of the green economy, defined as Low Carbon and Renewable Economy (LCREE) could, with support and development, create up to 20,000 new and re-purposed jobs.

Both reports have been submitted to the Government via the Thames Valley Chamber of Commerce which led the production of the Berkshire Local Skills Improvement Plan (LSIP) and the associated central Government funding has been capital investment in the provision of training in our FE sector. Both Windsor Forest Group and Activate Learning (Reading and Bracknell) are at the forefront of investment in the green and screen sectors.

Activate Learning Reading also boasts the state-of-the-art ‘South Central Institute of Technology’ which services the increasing demand for digital technology skills. It is supported by Microsoft, McAfee, CCL and KPMG and is part of a SCIoT Group that grew out of the world-famous coding centre at Bletchley Park. They provide Apprenticeships, Degree level and CPD courses.

Of course, there is always going to be the view that says we are too fixated on skills shortages as the antidote for sluggish economic growth rather than matching the wealth of highly skilled workers to the jobs available, for example in the case of the thousands of highly qualified ‘Hong Kongers’ who are not able to secure work in the UK. Matching labour supply and demand is not easy to manage however given personal choice, where people live and their particular education skills and experience which means we don’t always have the right people in the right place at the right time to meet employers’ needs.

Also, as is often the case and in Reading especially, it’s about making the most of everyone’s potential including those not in work, especially those who have been marginalised from the many great jobs in the public as well as private sectors because of the lack of any or some key qualifications employers are looking for. This is compounded in some cases by bouts of ill health, being brought up in care or having a disability. Are we doing enough to provide opportunities where employers are having recruitment problems?

And so we must also read across to another recently announced key plank of Government Policy ‘Connect to Work’. The Government is tasking local authorities to provide ‘supported employment’ services to those groups mentioned above who are just not getting the breaks when it comes to job applications. What more can employers do in terms of work experience, interview coaching etc.?

‘We do that,' I hear you say, but what then about the more tricky tailoring the job spec to the person you want to attract (job carving) or shaping a job to suit an existing employee who may be struggling (job crafting)? It will allow us to match jobs best suited to those who are on the autistic spectrum or around the talent you have and make adaptations to make health and disability situations a non-issue in doing the job.

REDA will be supporting Reading Borough Council and a pan Berkshire initiative to deliver on the Government’s new Connect to Work programme and I would be very interested to hear your views - how realistic is it? Do you feel you are a good practice employer who could champion this programme and encourage councils / other employers on how to take advantage of a latent, often willing and a loyal workforce out in their local community?

So as we see yet another Apprenticeship Week go by and we reflect on our underperformance in Apprenticeship nationally, I’m with Rachel on investing in skilling, reskilling and upskilling for future business needs and key sectors. We can never be too fixated on investing in people to grow the economy but equally I agree that it’s not the only show in town. Let’s demand joined up government.

There are many other policy instruments and fiscal measures that need to be pulled together in a consistent single objective of economic growth or we are at risk of one policy undermining the other. For example, too much investment in Digital and Green Skills may not leave enough in the pot to invest in training up the thousands of constructions workers needed to build the long awaited third runway at Heathrow, its new terminals and the additional rail connectivity as well as deliver on the 1.5 million UK house target by 2029.