Most firms I speak to are dealing with a similar set of pressures: the need to improve productivity, attract and retain talent, strengthen engagement, and manage rising cost pressures, all while being asked to do more with less. The result is that firms need to be much faster, more flexible and more affordable in how they build capability across their organisations.
For some time now, conversations with our members have been centred around the benefits and drawbacks longer form learning such as apprenticeships and qualifications, and more flexible, in the moment forms of capability development
Why apprenticeships and formal qualifications don’t always land
Apprenticeships and formal qualifications still matter, but they’re not always an easy fit for specialist technical skills.
- They need scale to work. If demand is too low, programmes can be hard to run sustainably.
- That tends to push standards towards broader roles. Useful for coverage, but not always for the depth firms need in more technical areas.
- Niche specialisms are harder to capture. In areas like payments, asset finance or operational resilience, demand is real but often spread across different firms and job titles, which makes standardisation harder.
there’s a need for technical training that’s practical, credible and quick to roll out
There are strong apprenticeship standards in some areas, but for more specialist skills they can feel too broad, and even where they fit, they’re often seen as too slow for fast-changing business needs. Many firms are also cautious about investing when average tenure is often talked about in three to five year terms.
What’s missing: practical technical training that can scale
Across these conversations, the same point keeps coming up: there’s a need for technical training that’s practical, credible and quick to roll out, especially for the regulatory and operational knowledge people need to be effective from day one.
- Firms need affordable, trusted training that can be used quickly for onboarding, role moves and shifting priorities.
- Learners need easy-to-access learning that builds confidence fast, with a clear way to demonstrate progress and skill acquisition.
- The wider system can benefit from learning that works alongside apprenticeships and formal routes, not instead of them.
The skills ecosystem is crowded (for good reasons) but can also be fragmented. Government sets the rules, employers are aware of the skills they need, providers are poised and ready to deliver training, and charities and social enterprise often help widen access. But in practice, technical skills can still get missed.
That’s where organisations like UK Finance can help. We can bring together government, regulators, employers and providers, and turn broad policy into training that reflects real jobs and real business needs. The success of UK financial services depends on the skills of its people. Because we sit close to both industry and policymakers, we can help shape training that is relevant, practical and up to date.
Our training is built by industry, for industry. It’s designed and delivered by experts, grounded in current regulation and real-world practice, and focused on helping people apply what they learn straight away.
We focus on short, practical learning through courses, academies and webinars that sit alongside formal routes and support ongoing upskilling. And through our Knowledge Hub, we help firms and individuals find the right training for what they need.
If we want to close skills gaps, we need a system that can do both scale and specialist depth. That means making apprenticeships work where they fit, and building practical technical learning around them.
