Earlier this month, David Marsh and Richard Turner, both co-chairs of The St Martin’s Group; Tom Culley, a BT apprentice and vice chair of the Apprentice Ambassador Network; and Emily Austin, engagement director at The St Martin’s Group and CEO of the Association of Apprentices had the pleasure of meeting with Jennifer Coupland, Chief Executive at the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education (IFATE).

Sharing our insights, this conversation was filmed and is available for viewing below.

As an organisation that is committed to supporting policy makers, employers, training providers and end-point assessors in delivering solutions to skills challenges, this was an important meeting for The St Martin’s Group. IFATE shares our ambition to create an employer-led apprenticeship and skills system, ensuring learners are equipped with the knowledge and skills that will meet employers needs and standards. Together, we therefore, wanted to discuss key policy areas and the role that both organisations can play in improving apprenticeship non-completions, participation and social mobility, employer voice, how quality for apprenticeships is measured, and sector stability.

We look forward to continuing these discussions with our members, IFATE and the sector more widely, and would like to also take this opportunity to thank Jennifer for being so generous with her time.