Morning, Tuesday, 2nd June 2026
Online
This conference will consider next steps for apprenticeships in England.
It will bring key stakeholders and policymakers together to examine reform to the design and delivery of apprenticeships, including implementation of foundation apprenticeships and modular pathways, and funding changes through the Growth and Skills Levy. Areas for discussion include employer engagement, meeting sector skills needs, and how governance and devolution arrangements can best support delivery, widened access and strengthened routes for progression.
Policy, targets & practical issues for implementation
It comes as the Government implements ambitions set out in the Post-16 Education and Skills White Paper, introduces the Growth and Skills Levy to replace the apprenticeship levy, and brings forward foundation apprenticeships alongside reform to funding and assessment arrangements.
We expect discussion to focus on practical issues for delivery, governance and progression across post-16 provision. Attendees will consider the alignment of apprenticeship reform with wider post-16 changes, devolution measures and broader skills and workforce priorities.
Delegates will assess strategies for strengthening employer engagement to connect more young people with high-quality apprenticeship opportunities, following recent changes to targets aiming for two-thirds of young people to have undertaken higher-level learning by age 25, with at least 10% of young people pursuing higher technical education or apprenticeships by age 25 by 2040.
Discussion will consider the potential impact of government initiatives such as expansion of the Jobs Guarantee and progress towards meeting its ambition of creating 200,000 paid jobs for young people, alongside new incentives for employers to recruit and train younger workers, including financial support for employers taking on young apprentices and wider reforms to expand entry routes into work through foundation apprenticeships and related programmes. Discussion will also consider how providers, employers and local partners can scale opportunities and support more young people into apprenticeships and sustained employment.
The agenda will consider approaches for providers and employers in navigating changes to apprenticeship design, alongside the role of new programmes in meeting skills demand and the integration of more flexible approaches and modular units. Priorities for schools, providers and local authorities in supporting effective transitions into post-16 education and training will also be discussed.
Further discussion will examine implications of funding reform through the new levy, including how it interacts with other youth employment and progression support - including the Youth Guarantee.
Wider post-16 reform
We also expect discussion on implications for apprenticeships arising from related reform to the post-16 learner landscape announced in the white paper. This includes the introduction of a new Industry Exchange programme designed to bring workplace skills into the classroom, expansion of the Sector-Based Work Academy Programme, and changes to SEND support, alongside provider and employer capacity for increasing scale of delivery.
There will also be an opportunity to examine the introduction of new qualifications and learner pathways, such as V-levels designed to equip young people with practical industry skills, and how these will interact with apprenticeship schemes, including bridging skills gaps and steps which can be taken to strengthen awareness of the new qualifications amongst employers.
Foundation apprenticeships, modular units & supporting those that are NEET
Delegates will assess priorities for foundation apprenticeships recently established by government, alongside the rollout of modular apprenticeship units. Areas for discussion include how these changes are implemented in practice, progression routes for participants and their role in supporting young people into work, as well as strategies for encouraging employer uptake.
The way apprenticeship reform aligns with wider support for those who are not in education, employment or training will be examined. This includes consideration of the Youth Guarantee, Youth Futures Hubs and other mechanisms intended to connect young people with training and employment opportunities.
Employer engagement, learner pathways & sector skills needs
Further action to support small and medium-sized enterprises to offer apprenticeship schemes, including the potential impact of hiring incentives and grants aimed at expanding opportunities for young people entering the labour market through apprenticeships and entry-level roles, will be discussed, alongside strategies for developing wider community partnerships to support apprenticeship participation for both learners and employers.
Attendees will consider how modular and apprenticeship units can best complement foundation apprenticeships while maintaining coherent learner pathways, alongside practical considerations for staffing, quality assurance and resource planning.
Sessions will also look at the role of apprenticeships in supporting workforce development across priority sectors. The expansion of the Technical Excellence Colleges programme will be considered in this context, alongside discussion on effective practice in partnerships between providers, employers and local authorities to help address skills gaps.
National & local alignment
Further discussion will examine the relationship between national policy priorities and local labour market needs, including alignment with Local Skills Improvement Plans and coordination between the Department for Work and Pensions, the Department for Education and Skills England.
Delegates will also consider wider questions relating to funding priorities, governance arrangements and the integration of foundation apprenticeships and modular pathways within the national skills system. Discussion will draw on insights from initiatives such as the West Midlands Combined Authority Youth Employment Plan.
Access, progression & assessment
The role of apprenticeships in widening participation and supporting social mobility will be considered, alongside approaches for ensuring clear routes into and through apprenticeship pathways. This includes consideration of access for learners with additional needs and priorities for supporting transitions from school into post-16 education and training.
Further sessions will examine recent changes to assessment and programme structure intended to support delivery of apprenticeship reform, including developments relating to End Point Assessments, modular pathways and the digitalisation of scheme information for young people and providers.
All delegates will be able to contribute to the output of the conference, which will be shared with parliamentary, ministerial, departmental and regulatory offices, and more widely. This includes the full proceedings and additional articles submitted by delegates. As well as key stakeholders, those already due to attend incldue officials from the Department for Education; Department for Business and Trade; Department for Energy Security and Net Zero; Skills England; Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education; Ofsted; Office for Life Sciences; National Wealth Fund; and Department for the Economy, NI.
