Apprenticeships: The Future of Local Government Starts Today

Local government is at a crossroads and the direction we choose now will shape the future of our public services for decades to come. With 47% of the workforce aged over 50 and just 5% aged under 25, we are staring down a generational cliff edge. This isn’t just a staffing issue; it’s a strategic risk to service continuity, innovation, and community trust.

The average age of council employees is now 46 years, with some councils reporting averages as high as 47. Meanwhile, the number of employees aged 50+ across the UK workforce has grown from 21% to 33% over the past 30 years, making older workers the fastest-growing demographic in employment.

This imbalance threatens the sustainability of public services, institutional memory, and innovation capacity. As experienced officers retire, we face a growing gap in skills, leadership, and local knowledge. At the same time, younger generations are not entering the sector in sufficient numbers to replace them. We are not just losing people we are losing potential.

The question is no longer if we need to act, but how. And the answer is clear: apprenticeships.

Apprenticeships offer a unique opportunity to rebuild our workforce from the ground up, bringing in fresh talent, new perspectives, and a renewed sense of purpose. They allow us to grow our own, creating career pathways that are inclusive, accessible, and aligned with the values of public service.

We already have the infrastructure the Apprenticeship Levy, national standards, and a growing body of best practice. What we need now is the will to use it strategically. Apprenticeships are not a tick-box exercise or a budget line to be managed. They are a transformational tool that can help us future-proof our organisations, empower our communities, and redefine what it means to work in local government.

The Workforce Challenge We Can’t Ignore

Local government is facing a demographic time bomb. According to the Local Government Association (LGA), just 4.05% of the workforce is aged 16–24, while a staggering 47% are aged over 50. The average age of council employees is now 46 years, and in some authorities, it’s even higher. This imbalance is not just a statistic it’s a warning sign.

As older workers approach retirement, councils risk losing decades of institutional knowledge, technical expertise, and leadership capacity. Without a pipeline of younger talent, we face a future where critical services are understaffed, innovation is stifled, and community trust erodes.

At the same time, recruitment and retention challenges are intensifying. A recent LGA workforce survey revealed that 94% of councils are experiencing recruitment difficulties, particularly in high-pressure areas like planning, adult social care, children’s services, and regulatory functions. The competition for talent is fierce, and local government is often outpaced by the private sector and central government in attracting younger professionals.

Yet we have a tool to address this the Apprenticeship Levy. Introduced to fund training and development, the levy is paid by councils with wage bills over £3 million. But many authorities are failing to use it effectively. Nationally, billions of pounds have been returned to the Treasury due to underutilisation, with average usage rates hovering around 40–55%. That’s not just a missed opportunity it’s a strategic failure.

“Apprenticeships are not just a training route. They are a strategic investment in the future of our workforce and our communities.” Local Government Association

Apprenticeships offer a way to reverse the trend. They bring in fresh talent, diversify the workforce, and create structured pathways into public service. But to succeed, we must move beyond compliance and embrace apprenticeships as a core part of our workforce strategy.

Let’s Use the Levy: Building a Model That Works

The Apprenticeship Levy is not just a funding mechanism it’s a strategic lever for workforce transformation. Yet across local government, it remains underutilised, misunderstood, or siloed within HR departments. To unlock its full potential, councils must move beyond compliance and embrace apprenticeships as a core component of their workforce strategy. Here’s how to build a model that works:

• Map apprenticeship standards to job roles: Use frameworks like the LGA’s Apprenticeship Maturity Model to align apprenticeship opportunities with organisational needs. This ensures apprenticeships are not generic but tailored to the skills gaps and future priorities of each service area.

• Conduct Apprenticeship MOTs: Regularly review your programme’s health. Are apprentices progressing? Are managers supported? Are you using the levy effectively? These MOTs help identify gaps and opportunities for improvement.

• Embed apprenticeships into succession planning: Apprenticeships should be part of long-term workforce strategies, not short-term fixes. By integrating them into talent pipelines, councils can ensure continuity in critical roles and reduce reliance on external recruitment.

• Use levy transfers creatively: Councils can transfer up to 25% of their levy funds to other organisations. This is a powerful way to support schools, fire services, and voluntary sector partners strengthening the wider public service ecosystem.

• Create progression pathways: Apprentices need to see a future in the sector beyond their initial qualification. Councils should offer clear routes into permanent roles, further training, and leadership development. This boosts retention and builds loyalty.

Case Study: St Helens Borough Council

St Helens has embedded apprenticeships into its broader workforce development strategy, aiming to get the right people, in the right place, with the right skills at the right time. Their approach includes:

• Offering high-quality apprenticeships to new and existing employees of all ages.

• Linking apprenticeships to career pathways and succession planning.

• Supporting schools and services to identify apprenticeship opportunities and address recruitment challenges.

• Promoting inclusive access to apprenticeships to support social mobility and community impact.

“Apprenticeships are an integral tool for workforce development and succession planning, helping us deliver high-quality services and achieve our Council priorities.” St Helens Borough Council

Case Study: Coventry City Council

Coventry has taken a strategic approach to apprenticeships by aligning them with its digital strategy and workforce development goals. Recognising a gap in data skills across the organisation, the council:

• Used the Apprenticeship Levy to fund data apprenticeships across departments.

• Embedded apprenticeship conversations into annual appraisals to identify development needs.

• Partnered with specialist providers to deliver targeted training that supports service improvement and efficiency.

• Created inclusive pathways for individuals like Paul Fletcher, a registered blind apprentice in adult care, who progressed through the programme and now contributes meaningfully to community services.

“Apprenticeships are helping us build a data-skilled workforce and improve services in a financially sustainable way.” Coventry City Council

Introducing the Truth About Local Government Apprenticeship Accelerator Programme

To truly transform the apprenticeship experience in local government, we need more than good infrastructure we need a movement. That’s why we’ve launched the Truth About Local Government Apprenticeship Accelerator Programme: a bold, sector-wide initiative designed to reimagine what apprenticeships can achieve.

This programme is built on the belief that apprenticeships should be a gateway to leadership, not a ceiling. It’s about nurturing talent, building confidence, and creating a culture where apprentices are seen as future changemakers not just temporary staff.

What the Programme Offers

• Leadership development from day one: Apprentices are supported to think strategically, understand the bigger picture, and develop the skills needed to lead teams and projects in the future.

• Coaching and mentoring: Every apprentice is matched with a coach or mentor who understands the sector and can help them navigate challenges, build resilience, and grow professionally.

• Retention-focused design: The programme doesn’t end when the apprenticeship does. It includes post-apprenticeship support to help individuals transition into permanent roles and continue their development.

• Community impact: Apprentices are encouraged to connect their work to the communities they serve, fostering a sense of purpose and civic responsibility.

• Human-centred development: Beyond technical competence, the programme focuses on emotional intelligence, communication, adaptability, and wellbeing helping apprentices become well-rounded officers and human beings.

This is about changing the narrative. Apprenticeships are not a fallback or a second-best option. They are a first-class route into public service, capable of producing the next generation of leaders who are diverse, driven, and deeply connected to their communities.

“We must stop seeing apprenticeships as a second-best option. They are the foundation of a resilient, skilled, and diverse local government workforce.” Matt Masters

A Call to Action

Apprenticeships are not just a policy lever they are a moral and strategic imperative. They represent our best opportunity to reshape the future of local government, to build a workforce that is skilled, diverse, and deeply connected to the communities we serve.

We must, as a sector, invest in them today. That means:

• Using the Apprenticeship Levy fully and strategically, not letting funds expire unused.

• Building clear pathways from entry-level roles to leadership, so apprentices see a future in the sector.

• Embedding apprenticeships into workforce planning, succession strategies, and service transformation.

• Championing apprenticeships publicly, so they are seen as a first-choice route into public service.

Because if we don’t, we risk losing the talent, energy, and innovation that our communities so desperately need. We risk becoming a sector that looks backwards instead of forwards.

The time to act is now. Let’s build the future one apprentice at a time.