Fast-track apprenticeships to boost skills in growth sectors

Young people are set to move more quickly into high‑quality jobs on major projects as the Government cuts red tape to accelerate training. Ministers say the system must keep pace with fast‑evolving industries, from updated construction safety requirements to the skills needed for the latest offshore wind technology. A new accelerated model will allow changes to training standards or the creation of short courses in as little as three months, ensuring employers have the workforce required to deliver growth-driving projects.

The move forms part of the Growth and Skills Levy reforms, aimed at delivering 50,000 additional apprenticeships for young people and backed by £725 million. The Government says the programme supports its ambition for two‑thirds of young people to enter higher‑level education or apprenticeships. The approach will help companies meet their skills needs more quickly while underlining the expectation that major infrastructure bidders contribute to high‑quality jobs, training and apprenticeships. It also reflects the view that investment in people must sit alongside investment in projects.

To mark the start of National Apprenticeship Week, Work and Pensions Secretary Pat McFadden visited the Cammell Laird shipyard in Birkenhead to see how apprenticeships are supporting advanced manufacturing and engineering.

Mr McFadden said: “Britain’s future depends on getting more young people into good jobs with real prospects. These reforms will slash bureaucracy so we can train people faster in the industries where they are needed most. At Cammell Laird, I have seen how apprenticeships are delivering the skilled workforce our country needs — from shipbuilding to advanced manufacturing. We are building on that success with our additional £725 million Growth and Skills Levy investment to create 50,000 new apprenticeships. We need to give more young people a faster route into secure, well‑paid work by ensuring British businesses have the talent they need to grow.”

The reforms are designed to make the apprenticeships system more responsive to employers and allow training to be delivered more quickly in sectors where demand is greatest. Through the new Major Investment and Infrastructure Service, the changes will support the delivery of major public and private investment projects, from Northern Powerhouse Rail to new defence‑sector facilities. Occupational experts will oversee targeted revisions, such as updates to construction standards following post‑Grenfell regulatory changes.

Largest training programmes
During his visit, the Secretary of State met apprentices at one of the UK maritime sector’s largest training programmes, as well as students at the Engineering College, which trains more than 100 apprentices annually in partnership with Cammell Laird. The shipbuilder employs hundreds of apprentices across Merseyside and works closely with local training providers to develop future engineers, welders and project managers.

David McGinley, chief executive officer of APCL Group, said: “APCL Cammell Laird was delighted to welcome the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, Pat McFadden, to its facility ahead of National Apprenticeship Week. The Secretary of State’s visit provided APCL with the platform to demonstrate the importance of our award‑winning apprenticeship programme to the UK’s industrial capability.

“Our Group is currently supporting over 270 young people in their training across the UK. APCL Cammell Laird and the wider APCL Group’s shipbuilding and ship repair capability is underpinned by our apprenticeship programme which continues to deliver the next generations of shipbuilders and engineers. The ongoing success of our apprenticeship programme is vital if we are to ensure that the UK retains its shipbuilding strength. APCL remains deeply committed to this scheme.”

The accelerated approach will enable Government to prioritise sectors critical to growth, productivity and national infrastructure, while maintaining quality standards. The announcement comes as the UK marks the 19th annual National Apprenticeship Week, centred on the theme ‘Skills for Life’.

Recent Growth and Skills Levy reforms will support 50,000 new apprenticeships and help align training with local labour‑market needs. Employers and training providers are being encouraged to engage with Skills England and the Department for Work and Pensions to shape the accelerated apprenticeship model.

Nigel Cann, CEO of Sizewell C, said: “Apprentices are the lifeblood of a project like ours. We will be recruiting 1,500 over the course of construction, with 540 of those coming from our host county of Suffolk, and they will work across a huge range of roles here. Apprenticeships not only help deliver nationally significant projects like Sizewell C, they help meet the skills demand for our industries and offer a vital engine for social mobility in the UK, offering young people opportunities regardless of their background. Accelerating routes into apprenticeships means accelerating opportunity, social mobility, and growth here in the UK. So we absolutely welcome the measures announced today by the Work and Pensions Secretary.”

Critical to our skills pipeline
Tania Gandamihardja, group HR director, BAE Systems, said: “We currently have a record 5,100 apprentices in learning and they are critical to our skills pipeline. They enable us to deliver programmes of national importance such as the Global Combat Air Programme, the UK’s next‑generation SSN‑AUKUS submarines and Type 26 frigates alongside disruptive technologies such as cyber, space and drone capabilities.

This announcement will accelerate our ability to offer new and updated apprenticeships keeping our people at the forefront of cutting‑edge defence technologies. Incorporating the most advanced innovations in apprenticeships will also help us attract the 1,100 apprentices we need to join our company this year. We will work closely with the UK Government to create the new apprenticeship standards to meet the skills needs of the defence sector.”

Becki Robertson, vice president of human resources, Agratas, said: “Battery manufacturing in the UK is advancing rapidly, and to deliver projects of great scale and ambition like ours, we need people with the right skills, at the right time. This accelerated approach to apprenticeship and short course delivery will make a real difference to our business and the battery sector, providing agility and flexibility to respond to industry developments, and delivering the vital skills we need now and in the future. It will help us maximise apprenticeship pathways for our evolving requirements, develop a talent pipeline and upskill our workforce, supporting us to deliver this critical project at pace.”

Philippa Burt, HR director at Hinkley Point C, said: “We welcome these apprenticeship reforms as they will help boost opportunities for young people at the same time as delivering more effectively the skills needed by major infrastructure projects. 1,700 apprentices have already been trained at Hinkley Point C, helping overcome nationally significant skills gaps in key trades and high-growth sectors.

“We have seen the huge difference apprenticeships make to the lives of young people on our project, growing their careers and confidence. Accelerating access will see many more lives transformed and help build on the skills legacy large projects offer for future growth and industrial capacity.”

Julia Pyke, clean power commissioner and managing director at Sizewell C, concluded: “Slashing red tape so that more apprenticeships can be created in clean energy companies is great news for communities hosting the infrastructure, and for growing the skilled workforce the country needs for a just transition.”