Never stop learning: Why Level 7 apprenticeships are vital in an era of transformative digital change

Today’s leaders operate in an era of transformation. Huge advances within the AI, robotics, bio-sciences, computing and engineering sectors, are changing the way we work, live and think. This period of digital evolution presents challenges and opportunities, as employers grapple with the long-term impact of the ‘Fifth Industrial Revolution’ on processes and people.

When I was completing my PhD in AI in 1995, many people told me that AI sounded like the stuff of science fiction. The spectre of AI was often dismissed as either wishful thinking or of limited value beyond the confines of the Technosphere. How times have changed. The government’s recently published AI Action Plan is proof of its integration into the wider business ecosystem, and its potential to turbocharge the UK’s growth.

It’s encouraging to see our leaders acknowledge the mainstream significance of AI and push for further innovation. However, unless we tackle the skills and knowledge gap within the UK’s workforce – particularly in the areas of tech and digitalisation – these ambitious plans will not be adopted with confidence. This is particularly important within the teams leading the charge when it comes to making lasting and sustainable changes. Ultimately, leaders must speak the language of the industries and technologies they plan to inhabit or adopt.

The need for digital leadership

National Apprenticeship Week is often, rightly, focused on the opportunities available for school leavers and early-career graduates. Creating more learning pathways for young people is an important step to tackle unemployment and low productivity within the UK. But employers must not neglect the continuous professional training of our current and future leaders.

We can’t expect managers to ‘speak tech’ with the fluency of those who have been immersed in the sector since university. The people responsible for integrating technology need support, training and guidance to navigate this complex landscape, and implement digital solutions both ethically and strategically.

Carl Sagan famously said: “We live in a society exquisitely dependent on science and technology, in which hardly anyone knows anything about science and technology”.

This doesn’t have to be the case. Level 7 apprenticeships that align business leadership and technological advances are an essential bridge between two important knowledge bases. Through work-based, experiential learning and professional development, those with managerial and business experience are empowered to apply this same strategic thinking to digital implementation.

Helping today’s leaders navigate change

Henley’s MSc Digital and Technology Solutions Specialist (DTSS) degree apprenticeship programme encourages more than just an understanding of macro and micro trends. Learners are asked to analyse real-world challenges through a DTSS lens, and harness new developments to tackle deep-rooted problems. The capstone project completed by apprentices aims to improve organisational processes using digital solutions. In this way, theoretical – and occasionally intimidating – new systems, software and technologies become a tangible reality that leaders can use to their advantage.

The World Economic Forum has acknowledged the growing demand for leaders who can meet this Fifth Industrial Revolution head-on. Its aim to reskill 1 billion people by 2030 reflects the OECD’s finding that a third of all global jobs will be transformed by technology over the next 10 years. There is no doubt that we are in the midst of a societal shift.

It’s in Henley’s DNA to equip leaders with the skills to forge a path in unchartered territory. In the aftermath of the Second World War, Henley academics helped to shape the framework and management values of the Civil Service. Eighty years later, we continue to train their teams and top talent.

The DTSS programme continues this legacy of transformation through training. Our recently created Digitalisation, Marketing and Entrepreneurship department reflects the strength of expertise in these areas and our multidisciplinary approach to digital innovation and transformation. There is no such thing as a one-size-fits-all experience at Henley. Across the Level 7 apprenticeship programmes, learners are encouraged to develop a personal leadership style, and this also applies to the DTSS MSc. Whether studying IT strategy or data analytics, the individual strengths each learner brings to the table will inform the way they embed these digital solutions within their own workplaces.

The announcement last year that the Level 7 levy could be removed in its upcoming reform has been met with concern by employers. A critical skills vacuum within leadership teams during the AI equivalent of the international space race is an unwelcome prospect. However, employers keen to create leaders who can confidently surf the waves of progress should not be dissuaded by the government’s shake-up of the levy. There is still time to utilise current funding before the changes take effect and, in an evolving levy landscape, it’s worth exploring all possible training options. A leader well-versed in both business and digital developments could be the difference between thriving or just surviving as we hurtle head-first into the future.

This National Apprenticeship Week, I’m making a case for the crucial need to keep learning at all levels. Current and future leaders must be empowered to respond proactively rather than reactively to new technologies and drive digital innovations within their own teams. After all, the world will continue to change. The only question is whether we’re able to stay ahead of the curve and make the future work for us today.