The skills gap is a topic that’s never out of the news. There are many apprenticeship programs that claim to close the skills gap. After working for many years with businesses of all sizes, i’ve seen that there is a difference between training to tick a box and that which transforms an organisation.
Never should achieving the baseline be your sole objective. To be effective, apprenticeship programmes must be designed like any other strategic intervention: by consulting.
When implemented well, an apprenticeship programme can transform from a simple learning path into a powerful tool for business growth. But too often the design stops where it should (with compliance), and leaves the deeper value untapped.
Apprentices leave with a certificate but not much else to prepare them for their future challenges. The businesses, on the other hand, are missing out on valuable information. All of this is happening despite the fact that, when training is done well, it can boost performance and unlock 218% more income per employee.
The numbers show that a consulting approach to training programs for apprenticeships is a worthwhile investment, even if you don’t have a people-focused priority.
Compliance may satisfy policy, but performance is not inspired
The majority of apprenticeship frameworks are still based on the need to meet national standards, especially at levels 3 and 5.
It’s not necessarily wrong. These standards are important and should be met. When they are the only way to measure success, however, the larger picture is lost.
The best learning environments treat each apprentice as a strategic resource rather than an obligation. Asking different questions is the first step. What are the challenges that this organization is trying to overcome? What are the gaps in capability? What skills will be essential in the next 12 months? How can people engage in meaningful work?
This approach does not reject the rules, but builds upon them with a much greater ambition. This approach is based on consulting and ensures that the training is not only tailored to the curriculum requirements but also to the operational goals of the business as well as the experience of the employees.
Students need relevance not routine
According LinkedIn Learning, 74 percent of employees are willing to undergo reskilling. The appetite for reskilling is already there. When training is not relevant – when it does not relate to the day-to-day tasks or career goals of employees – this appetite will fade.
I’ve watched apprentices sit in classes wondering how the lessons they are learning can ever be applied to their job. I’ve also seen learners who are engaged working on real projects, such as analysing data or improving sustainability. There is a stark difference between training that simply fills time and training that improves business and personal growth.
Consultancy makes a difference. We can create apprenticeships that work by understanding the people of an organisation, their market pressures, and their strategic ambitions. Not just confidence, but also capability. Knowledge is not enough.
Building skills to solve problems
A qualification doesn’t always equal competence. Modern workplaces require more than just a paper-based knowledge. It requires critical thinking, strategic solution-finding, digital fluency and leadership readiness. These skills are essential for apprenticeships. Otherwise, they may not produce the credentials that match.
Consider data literacy. Standard programmes might cover the basics, such as how to enter figures and run reports. A programme that is based on consultancy goes beyond the basics. It encourages learners to question assumptions, interpret trends and make recommendations. This is the type of thinking that transforms apprentices into change-agents, champions of continuous improvement and innovation. That’s where you find your ROI.
Sodexo as an example: what good looks like in action
Sodexo provides a compelling example of what can happen when apprenticeships are integrated into a business with rigor. Sodexo does not treat training as a separate initiative. Instead, it aligns all of its programmes from the start with business goals. Apprentices are expected to take initiative, assume ownership and produce results that change the dial.
Sodexo’s strategic change is not just a token act. It’s a deliberate and strategic move. The company’s strategy recognizes that apprentices are more than just participants. They can also be catalysts. Sodexo’s investment in consultancy-driven program design has created a workforce which is agile, capable, and truly invested in the future of the company.
Customized training has long-term benefits
We begin by creating a blueprint with the stakeholders. This includes defining success, identifying priorities within an organisation, and understanding where each learner fits in. This is a more involved process, but it’s exactly why it works.
This lens allows apprenticeships to become a solution for real business issues, such as building a stronger pipeline of leaders, addressing digital gaps, or equipping teams with the skills they need for sustainable growth. Programmes can be a key tool for achieving meaningful and tangible results.
The apprentices also feel a sense purpose with this approach. Their learning is not limited to generic skills; it’s tied to the real-world priorities of their business, which helps them achieve tangible results. This relevance encourages greater engagement, retention, and an investment in the career journey.
An investment that pays off
According to the Chartered Management Institute, apprenticeships can deliver a return on investment of almost 300%. This translates into productivity gains totaling PS7 billion in ten years. This is not a marginal gain, but a transformative one. It’s revealing – and it would be foolish to ignore.
The only question that remains is how to unlock the value. In my opinion, the solution is very simple: stop designing training programmes for apprenticeships in isolation. We design them to be part of a larger picture, bespoke for business and meaningful for learners.
Companies that do this well will not just meet the standards. The companies that get it right will not only meet standards, but they’ll also set them.
