Skills England Chair Phil Smith on National Apprenticeship Week 2026

Skills England Chair Phil Smith sat down with FE News CEO Gavin O’Meara for a virtual coffee to mark National Apprenticeship Week 2026.

Now in its 19th year, the week-long celebration gave Phil and Gavin the opportunity to discuss everything from the transformative power of apprenticeships to Skills England’s move to the Department for Work and Pensions, foundation apprenticeships, and how AI is reshaping the skills landscape.

But for Phil, what makes the week special comes down to one thing: the apprentices themselves.

“The thing that always gives you most excitement is when you actually hear or see or talk to the apprentices themselves,” Phil explained. “You think, oh my God, this is what it’s all about. This is actually about people getting opportunities that they haven’t had before.”

He reflected on the transformational stories the week brings to light, from people stuck in jobs they didn’t want, to finding apprenticeships that gave them careers they’re genuinely excited about.

“That makes it all worthwhile, to be quite honest. And obviously with young people in particular, when you see them with hope for the future, we really need that at the moment.”

A message to employers

Drawing on his experience as former UK CEO of Cisco, Phil had a direct message for employers who haven’t yet engaged with apprenticeships: try it.

“Everybody I’ve talked to, from the banks to the Rolls-Royces and Ciscos, right down to smaller companies all around the country, when they’ve got apprentices on board, they’re absolutely positive about it. I’m not sure I’ve ever had a company say, ‘Yeah, we tried apprentices, and it really doesn’t work.'”

But it’s not just about filling a vacancy, Phil stressed.

“It’s not just about bringing a person in, it’s about bringing a whole culture into the organisation. And we know that culture is everything.”

Building a confident nation

The conversation also turned to AI, the nearly one million young people not in education, employment or training, and what Skills England’s move to DWP means for the sector. But one theme ran throughout: confidence.

“Part of what we need to do in Skills England is give people confidence at all parts of their life and career,” Phil said. “Whether that’s a young person feeling confident they’ve got the capability to go into work, or someone going, ‘I’m not scared of AI because I’ve done a basic course.'”

His ambition? “We need to create the most digitally confident nation in the world. We need to aspire to be better than Singapore.”

Phil also shared a recent highlight, a visit to Middlesbrough College where apprentices prepared and served the meal for Skills England’s board meeting.

“Young apprentices doing not only the catering part but the service part, coming up and telling us what the wines were. That’s what it’s all about.”

Watch the full interview below: