According to the latest ONS labour market data, youth unemployment has hit 14.7%. That means one in seven young people looking for work can't find...
I was delighted to work with colleagues at FE News’ Breaking Barriers event on a construction job. We worked to take apart the youth employment...
For too long, the national conversation around success has treated university as the default route into a professional career. Yet across the UK, thousands of...
At the start of this month, leaders from across government, further education, skills, employability and employer groups gathered for the Breaking Barriers Collective, hosted by...
There is a particular kind of honesty that emerges when a room full of practitioners, advocates and leaders agrees to stop being polite about a...
The publication of the Milburn interim review on young people and work arrives at an important moment for England’s education, employment and skills system. With...
Something struck me recently at the Breaking Barriers / NEET Collective, held in central London on 2nd June 2026 - a FE News and Edge...
Recently, I visited PET-Xi in Coventry, and I left with a feeling I know all too well: admiration, frustration and a deep sense of déjà...
Practitioners, leaders, researchers and advocates gathered in London to do something the sector urgently needed: not just name the problem, but co-design the route out...
There’s a gulf between where many NEET young people are and where employers need them to be so that they can thrive in a job. The UK must find ways to bridge that gulf -...
This is the Skills and Apprenticeships News category page on FE News. This is a page that has pooled together thought leadership articles and videos from influencers and key decision makers discussing future skills policy, how skills can solve the productivity puzzle, the latest developments in Apprenticeships and skills for the jobs of the future and how technology is transforming the core or essential skills for the jobs of the future as we are now in the fourth industrial revolution. Here is the place to explore the latest ideas and skills strategies from leaders across the World of Further Education, Skills and Apprenticeships.
So if you are interested in finding out the latest strategies, expert opinions and developments from the Apprenticeship Levy, to the Growth and Skills Levy News, APAR, lifelong learning, micro-credentials, Degree apprenticeships or qualification reform and skills policy news. Then you are in the right place. Check out the latest opinion pieces, thought leadership, videos and skills strategies from experts across the World of Apprenticeships, Skills and Work Based Learning. FE News is a platform, so the thought leadership articles are from actual Apprenticeship industry professionals, rather than through the lens of a reporter or editor. This is why the content on FE News is truly the voice of the FE and Skills Sector.
Apprenticeships provide talent pipelines with in-demand skills crucial for future growth. Work-integrated learning moulds adaptable workers as jobs evolve. Apprentices gain relevant experience by bypassing graduate skills gaps. Custom programs matched to business priorities also promote diversity and social mobility. Competency measures further shift focus to capabilities over qualifications. Government incentives and industry partnerships in areas with acute shortages reinforce the value of developing talent via apprenticeships at all career stages.
Evaluate skills gaps and ageing. Build versatility in digital, data, and regulatory domains to minimise shortage risks and keep institutional knowledge despite turnover. Also, focus on inclusive leadership.
Automation and AI first policies will transform most jobs, prioritising human skills in problem-solving across disciplines. Human creativity, empathy and teamwork will productively integrate with efficiency. Technical skills should connect humanities and STEM.
Skills audits, micro-learning, and mentor guidance enabled through internal job rotations and external partnerships. Leaders should exemplify continuous learning. Incentivise upskilling via subsidised classes in emerging domains. Promote peer coaching too.
Discover more insights and strategies on FE skills and apprenticeships by exploring our latest articles, videos, and resources below.
Risks are part of everyday life. To a greater or lesser extent, we all take them; and we all take steps to make them be,…
When the exam results are announced each August, the media are, understandably, full of pictures of jolly teenagers jumping for joy. As happened this year, with…
A band-new apprenticeship has been launched by the University of Sunderland – in partnership with NHS trusts around the north-east – to train the next…
A new government brings about an opportunity to get the skills system right Two months into the formation of an incoming government, there are three…
Changing careers at the age of 38 from a comfortable job-for-life in the world of retail to the uncertainty of the film industry may seem…
National award winner Sophie Dey is “ready to take on the world” and achieve her dream of becoming a nurse, having experienced a very challenging…
Stephen Reynolds was inspired to get support to learn to read and write after hearing a speaker at a GMB Congress talk about his own…
Having faced some of the toughest life challenges, Isaac Fabb is now an inspirational learner who is a role model for young people starting out…
Ofsted has today published a detailed response to its ‘Big Listen’ consultation, setting out how the inspectorate will reset its relationship with the sectors it…
Bishop Fleming is celebrating triple Apprenticeship success after receiving an Outstanding rating from Ofsted’s first full inspection of its apprenticeship provision, along with a string…
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