Flexibility with Purpose

Last week, I joined representatives from Parliament, employers, business organisations, awarding bodies and the wider skills sector at the New Statesman Politics Live event to discuss apprenticeship units, modular learning and the future of workforce development.

It was a wide-ranging discussion, bringing together different perspectives from across the skills landscape. While there were different views around the table, there were also some clear themes that emerged.

Modular learning has a role to play

One of the recurring themes was how we introduce greater flexibility without losing confidence in the skills system.

At NOCN Group, we’ve supported the principle of modular learning for many years. Giving people the opportunity to build new skills, update existing knowledge or develop specialist expertise has real value. It also recognises that learning doesn’t end when someone completes an apprenticeship. New technologies, changing regulations and evolving ways of working all mean that people need opportunities to refresh their skills throughout their careers.

The discussion quickly moved beyond whether modular learning has a place. The more important question was how it should be designed, delivered and recognised.

Used well, modular learning can help employers respond to changing skills needs, support continuing professional development and create clearer opportunities for people to build on the skills they already have. Used poorly, it risks creating unnecessary complexity or learning that lacks a clear purpose.

One size doesn’t fit all

Another point that emerged was that modular learning isn’t one single idea.

For some employers, it may be about creating greater flexibility within apprenticeships. For others, it could be helping experienced workers keep pace with changing technologies, regulations or specialist products. The language may be the same, but the purpose is often very different.

That is why any future approach needs to be flexible enough to reflect the needs of different industries, while maintaining the consistency and quality that gives employers confidence in the skills people have achieved.

Employers should be part of the conversation

Employer engagement was another recurring theme throughout the discussion.

Businesses understand where skills are changing, where the pressures are and where greater flexibility could make the biggest difference. That experience should help shape how qualifications and learning are developed, rather than employers being asked to adapt once decisions have already been made. Meaningful engagement starts at the design stage, not once a new policy is ready to launch.

Good policy is always stronger when it reflects the realities of the workplace, and that means involving employers from the outset.

Looking ahead

The discussion also reinforced an important point.

Flexibility has an important place in the future of skills, but it should never become an end in itself. It should help people develop new skills, help employers respond to changing workforce needs and strengthen confidence in the wider skills system.

It should also prompt us to think carefully about where decisions are best made. Some parts of the skills system need national consistency. Others are better shaped by sectors or local economies. Finding the right balance will be just as important as the reforms themselves.

By Graham Hasting-Evans, Chief Executive of NOCN and President of BACH