A modern industrial strategy requires a modern skills strategy. This means closer collaboration between regional employers, local government, and education providers.

The apprenticeship penalty is an acute example of a wider problem: our welfare and education systems remain poorly designed for people moving between earning and learning across their lives.

The Government’s expansion of Technical Excellence Colleges is a welcome step toward addressing Britain’s ‘missing middle’ in higher technical education. However, to drive genuine growth, we must move beyond ‘alphabet soup’ branding, to ensure clear progression and accessibility for learners at all stages of life.