CMI Highlights – 14 February

Last week was the 14th annual celebration of National Apprenticeship Week. This year, the theme was “Skills for Life”. It was a chance to celebrate the achievements and impact of apprentices around the UK.

CMI has been banging the drum for apprenticeships for a long time. We recently published our report on the Apprenticeship Levy 2.0, Towards Flexibility and Productivity; ran a panel event, Shaping the Future of Apprenticeships; and hosted a skills roundtable in Huddersfield, where West Yorkshire mayor Tracy Brabin acknowledged the value of apprenticeships for career development.

That work continues. As part of National Apprenticeship Week, Ann Francke, CMI’s chief executive, interviewed Sir Michael Barber, the former head of the Number 10 Delivery Unit. He stressed that the UK has been lagging on skills and apprenticeships for decades.

We need that injection of talent more than ever. Daisy Hooper, CMI’s head of policy and innovation, appeared in BusinessGreen last week, pointing out the key role for apprenticeships in the transition to a low-carbon economy. 

Learning the ropes

As the “skills for life” theme suggests, apprenticeships aren’t just about people’s first steps into the working world. This week, articles in Forbes Poland and Fortune China referenced CMI findings that 82% of managers who enter management positions have not had the relevant training. 

Management apprenticeships offer a powerful way to prepare managers. Here, you can read how Amey, which provides the transport sector with decarbonisation solutions, is using management apprenticeships to give employees the soft skills they need for leadership roles in engineering.

Or you can get the inside scoop direct from CMI’s 2023 Apprentice of the Year, Will Burchell CMgr FCMI, whose recent management degree apprenticeship took his career to the next level. 

It’s not just individuals who benefit. In a new report from the Chartered Association of Business Schools, Ann Francke pointed out that apprenticeships not only offer employees the opportunity to upskill and advance, but also boost their organisation's productivity. 

Stronger together

Ann also appeared on the BBC 5 Live breakfast programme to discuss the impact of relationships at work, including those with line managers. [Play clip]. She also offers advice in The Times on how to overcome “groupthink,” where leaders remain unchallenged and team members withhold their views. 

The New Statesman featured CMI’s newly-published Local Heroes? Assessing Leadership and Management in Local Government report, published in partnership with the Social Market Foundation. The research found that low morale and retention issues are hindering performance in local government.

In this week’s Better Managers newsletter, you’ll find links to some of the apprenticeship articles mentioned above, along with insight into outside-in beliefs, the role of better management in healthcare and much more.

Best,

Ian

Image: Shutterstock / fizkes