Apprenticeships are a crucial route into a rewarding career for many people – so we welcome the Chancellor’s announcement of £40 million of investment in new foundation and shorter apprenticeships in key sectors, as an initial step towards a reformed Growth and Skills Levy. Apprenticeships are valued and recognised as helping learners become occupationally competent, and it is important these new apprenticeships are not employability programmes in disguise.

The Chancellor also announced more than £2 billion of investment in health research and development, which will drive innovation and support UK life sciences, alongside a £70 investment in the Life Science Innovation Manufacturing Fund in 2025/26.

The green economy will be critical to the UK’s transition to net zero and its future economy. So we welcome today’s confirmation of support for 11 green hydrogen projects around the UK, as well as investment in carbon capture and storage, and nuclear energy with the continued development of Sizewell C.

We also welcome the announcement of the Get Britain Working whitepaper, due to be published later this autumn, and we look forward to further details of how young people will be supported in

We stand ready to work with the government to help employers and learners gain the skills they need to deliver the workforce of the future.

To read the full Budget document, click here.