As part of our National Apprenticeship Week series, Pete McMahon of Leep Talent sets out why technical and transferable skill development must go hand in hand.
If the UK is serious about improving productivity, innovation and social mobility, then apprenticeships cannot sit on the sidelines. They must be part of our core economic strategy.
As the economy, the workplace and the skills landscape have changed, we as training providers must realise something important: what we do is no longer about one sector, one qualification, or even one route into employment. It is about building long-term pathways into sustainable careers.
Rapid changes in tech are reshaping the way we do business, and giving people the opportunity to develop technical skills alongside transferable, interpersonal qualities like communication, collaboration and leadership is essential.
We work closely with employers across the country, and the message we hear is consistent: digital transformation is accelerating, data is driving decisions, and people strategies are under more pressure than ever. Yet the skills pipeline has not kept pace. Roles stay vacant. Internal teams are stretched. Productivity suffers.
Employers are keen to adopt AI, but unsure how to manage risk, change behaviour, or bring people with them. Skills, not software, are the missing piece.
Because growth does not come from technology alone. Increasingly, businesses tell us they also need stronger people managers, learning specialists and HR professionals who can support change and retain talent. Human Resources and Learning & Development coaching pathways must sit alongside digital and AI initiatives. They are two sides of the same growth story.
That is why our new AI & Automation Practitioner Level 4 programme, built around real, work-based projects inside organisations, sits alongside our HR and L&D programmes. This is not about theory or buzzwords. Learners start by reviewing AI governance, risk and ethics, then move through solution design, testing and workforce enablement, before finally leading stakeholder adoption and assurance. In other words, they do not just learn about AI – they help their organisation use it safely, responsibly and effectively.
Apprenticeships have a fundamental role in helping businesses to adapt and thrive in a rapidly changing commercial environment, and many firms know as much.
What still holds apprenticeships back is not demand – it is perception. Too many businesses still see them as complex, entry-level or risky. Too many young people are never shown this route as a first choice. Yet when done well, apprenticeships create loyal employees, close skills gaps and build leadership from within.
We have seen learners join at Level 3, grow into Level 4 roles, and move into positions that organisations once struggled to recruit for. We have seen businesses reshape their workforce strategy because they finally had a sustainable talent pipeline.
Further simplification of the apprenticeship system to make it more accessible to employers is a must, as is greater promotion of vocational routes to young people.
Over the years, our business has gone through several chapters. Many people will know us as Back to Work Group, and through our specialist brands – Just IT, BePro and ECTA. Each of those names represented a different stage of our journey, and each played a role in helping people move into meaningful work. That is why we have come together under a single name: Leep.
Leep – with our tagline: Training, talent, potential. Powered up, is not just a rebrand. It reflects how we now see apprenticeships: as a growth engine for individuals, for employers, and for the UK economy itself.
Our move from Back to Work Group to Leep is about being clearer about who we are and what we stand for. We are no longer just supporting people into work – we are building the skills that will power the next phase of growth.
This National Apprenticeship Week, we should remember that upskilling isn’t just key to creating future opportunities, it’s essential to future-proofing our economy.