As part of our blog post series for National Apprenticeship Week, Julie Halford of the University of Roehampton sets out the role that upskilling can play in the Government’s growth mission.
With National Apprenticeship Week (NAW) underway, 2026 already feels like a significant year for apprenticeships. Government policy has made it clear that skills sit at the centre of the national “Plan for Change,” positioning apprenticeships as one of the most powerful tools for driving economic growth and building a future ready workforce.
Higher and degree apprenticeships continue to offer employers a vital route to address shortages while giving learners the chance to earn while they learn, progress, and build meaningful careers, supporting social mobility and levelling up.
Yet despite this ambition, the system still is not where it needs to be. SMEs are the backbone of the UK economy, but they continue to face complexity and administrative barriers that limit participation, a challenge repeatedly highlighted by national providers and skills bodies. Funding bands are reviewed, but providers consistently report that they do not always reflect the real cost of delivery, especially in high tech and high need sectors.
That is why the upcoming reforms are so crucial. From April 2026, new modular and shorter apprenticeship units including those in AI, digital and engineering will be funded through the Growth and Skills Levy. These units offer employers what they have long asked for: short, flexible, responsive training that reflects the realities of modern workforce development. The LLE, with stackable modules and Foundation Apprenticeships, will create structured, paid entry routes into priority sectors, giving people of all ages, particularly those furthest away from education or employment, a clearer pathway into work.
This shift marks a real opportunity to make apprenticeships more agile, more accessible and inclusive, to be more aligned with economic need.
One of the most exciting developments is the growing devolution of skills funding to local mayoralties and specifically to the Mayor of London. When local leaders have the autonomy to act, we see faster, bolder and more targeted responses.
London is moving quickly, launching an AI Taskforce, rolling out free AI training for all Londoners, and investing heavily in youth, employment and apprenticeship access. These are not abstract initiatives but tangible responses to real workforce pressures in sectors such as finance, life sciences, tech and the creative industries, sectors that will feel the impact of AI first and most intensely.
These programmes also focus on connecting young people, especially those not in education, employment or training, into apprenticeships through local partnerships. It is a model of employer connected, locally responsive strategy, exactly what apprenticeships need to thrive.
At the University of Roehampton, we work closely with employers and respond to learner demand to develop new apprenticeship opportunities. Our apprenticeship offer aligns strongly with the priority areas identified in both the South London and London Local Skills Improvement Plans (LSIPs) and also reflects national skills priorities set out across government industrial strategy and skills investment plans, ensuring that Roehampton’s strengths remain well positioned to meet future workforce needs.
Our collaborations with Further Education colleges also directly support Level 3 progression, a critical influence on widening access and ensuring young people can move smoothly into higher‑level apprenticeships.
AI is already reshaping employment, and the pace is accelerating. AI is still in its infancy: it is fast‑growing, unpredictable and learning at extraordinary speed. But by the time today’s apprentices complete their programmes, AI will be entering its adolescence, and will be more capable, more present and deeply embedded across every role and sector. Crucially, AI is not generic: its applications in health, construction, finance and education differ significantly, which means embedding sector specific AI skills is essential.
If we do not prepare learners now, we risk widening inequalities and leaving whole communities behind.
The direction of travel is clear. National reforms set the structure. Devolved funding and local leadership provide the pace. But apprenticeships are the engine that makes the whole system move.
If we invest in flexible, modular training; expand Level 3 access routes; integrate embedded, sector specific AI skills across pathways and remove barriers for SMEs, then 2026 won’t just be another year of reform, instead it will be the year apprenticeships become central to economic growth, social mobility and workforce resilience.
London has the momentum to lead this transformation. The rest of the UK has the opportunity to follow.