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.

When we align high-level learning with regional economies, we create a powerful engine for equity.