From Curriculum to Capability: How Apprenticeships Must Evolve to Solve the Skills Crisis

The UK is facing a growing skills crisis, not due to a lack of ambition or talent, but because too few young people are leaving education with the right experience and mindset to thrive in the world of work.

Apprenticeships could and should be the answer, but to unlock their full potential, we need to fundamentally re-examine how they are structured, funded, and delivered.

Many students today, including those on apprenticeship pathways, are gaining fewer real-world experiences than ever before. With a relentless focus on academic grades, encouraged by both schools and well-meaning parents, there is often less emphasis on hands-on learning. This is especially problematic in apprenticeships, which are inherently designed to be practical and applied. In some cases, apprenticeships have become too theoretical, with too few hours spent immersed in real work environments.

I’ve seen extreme examples of this disconnect. My own daughter was offered a work experience placement, only to be told at the last minute she’d be attending virtually, via Zoom. That may tick a box on a form, but it completely misses the point of workplace experience. In apprenticeship terms, we must prioritise exposure to real environments. It is only by being present in the workplace, dealing with people, pressure, and unpredictability, that apprentices build the resilience and situational awareness that businesses actually need.

Closing the Employer Gap

Apprenticeships are still too often designed in isolation from the businesses they are meant to serve. The feedback I hear time and again from employers is that while apprentices may be technically competent, they often lack broader commercial and behavioural skills.

Take plumbing as an example. Apprentices are taught how to fit boilers, repair pipework, and comply with regulations. But most receive no training in how to deal with customers, handle complaints, manage diaries, manage finance and cash flow, or understand quoting in a business context. They should be learning how to quote jobs and understand payment timetables to ensure they can fund the cost of goods ahead of installation. This includes managing partial split payments and creating contracts that ensure full and timely payment.

They leave qualified in their trade but unequipped to contribute meaningfully to the growth of a business.

We need to go beyond task competency. An effective apprenticeship curriculum should also cover:

• Communication and professionalism
• Finance, quoting, and invoicing
• Marketing and brand awareness
• Teamwork and leadership development
• Using modern tools, including AI, CRMs, and scheduling systems

Some colleges and providers are starting to teach AI, but usually through separate modules or standalone digital qualifications. Rarely is it integrated into apprenticeship pathways. That needs to change. Apprentices should know how to use AI to improve business workflows, create basic marketing content, or streamline communication.

Crucially, we must reframe apprenticeships from being purely technical programmes to being career and business readiness programmes.

Retention and Relevance

A key part of the current challenge is retention. Many employers are reluctant to take on apprentices because they perceive them as high effort and low return.

Businesses feel that apprenticeships are a cost, not an investment. They require time, supervision, training, and support. Yet there is no guarantee that the apprentice will stay once qualified, and in tight economic conditions, that uncertainty becomes a deterrent.

If government wants to improve uptake, it must fully fund apprenticeships and consider financial incentives for businesses. This isn’t about left or right politics. It’s about recognising that the vast majority of new jobs and training opportunities come from small to mid-sized enterprises. These are the businesses that will shape the future workforce, if they are supported to do so.

Give employers the tools, confidence, and support to take on apprentices, and you will see improved retention, stronger businesses, and more meaningful careers for young people.

Rebalancing the Learning Model

We must also revisit the balance between academic instruction and real-world immersion. In some sectors, such as nursing, we are now seeing a shift towards more classroom days and fewer placement hours. That’s the wrong way around. The workplace/live environment should be the primary learning ground, with technical instruction acting as a top-up, reflective layer that builds on practical experiences.

The same applies across trades, service roles, and new sectors. Apprenticeships are most powerful when they are built around active doing. It is through action that learning becomes embedded, and confidence is formed.

Building a Smarter System

To evolve apprenticeships into what they need to be, we should:

• Involve employers directly in shaping and reviewing curriculum
• Embed essential commercial and behavioural skills alongside technical training
• Ensure real-life workplace experience is prioritised throughout the programme
• Integrate relevant modern tools and technology, including AI
• Provide financial support or incentives to businesses who commit to taking apprentices

Apprenticeships are not just a route to a job. They are a route to building the future workforce this country needs. If we treat them with the seriousness they deserve, and support both learners and employers effectively, we will see not only better retention, but stronger businesses and a stronger economy.

It’s time to stop treating apprenticeships as a fallback and start positioning them as the foundation of our future workforce strategy.

By Mike Greene, Entrepreneur, Leadership Mentor, and Philanthropist