...and why cutting funding to higher-level apprenticeships risks leaving millions of experienced workers behind.
Introduction: A quiet but significant policy shift
Sometimes the most impactful policy changes don’t make the headlines.
From January 2026, public funding for Level 7 apprenticeships master’s-level qualifications like the Makers Senior Leader programme - will be withdrawn for most professionals over 21. On paper, it’s a technical tweak: an age cap. In practice, it’s a shift that could reshape how leadership is developed in the UK workforce.
It comes at a time when businesses are navigating structural transformation, generative AI, hybrid working, and declining engagement. A time when leaders don’t just need experience, they need to adapt, coach, collaborate, and guide others through complexity.
So why are we making it harder, not easier, to build that kind of leadership?
The overlooked majority: most of the workforce is already in work
The government’s rationale for the funding change is simple: redirect limited levy resources toward younger learners. But here’s the problem.
The UK’s workforce is ageing. And 80% of the people who will be working in 2030 are already in jobs today. If we want to prepare for the future of work - AI-enabled, fast-changing, and increasingly knowledge-based - then this group is urgently in need of support.
Yet many in this same group will now be cut off from public funding for advanced training. And that comes with consequences.
We know that the path to leadership is rarely linear. It’s even less so for women returning to work, career switchers, or people from non-traditional backgrounds. Many reach senior roles later in life - often without formal leadership training - and need structured, accessible development to succeed.
Removing that access isn’t just a funding decision. It’s a values decision. And one that risks leaving millions behind.
Why we still need senior-level learning in a tech-transformed world
Leadership isn’t what it used to be. The rise of AI and automation hasn’t replaced human decision-making - it’s made it more complex, more consequential, and more cross-functional.
We’ve seen it first-hand: the organisations struggling most with AI adoption aren’t short on tools. They’re short on leaders who can think critically, communicate change, and build trust while navigating uncertainty.
That’s why senior-level learning still matters.
The CIPD has called for a new “reskilling era” focused on older workers - not as a remedial measure, but as a long-term economic priority .These are people with deep institutional knowledge, interpersonal experience, and the potential to lead digital transformation - if they’re supported to do so.
At Makers, we often talk about Learning Quotient: the ability to keep learning in the face of change. It’s not a nice-to-have - it’s the defining skill of modern leadership.
And it’s why we believe pulling up the ladder to high-level training is a backward step.
What the Level 7 decision signals about the direction of policy
The decision to defund Level 7 apprenticeships for most adults reflects a broader shift in how skills funding is being prioritised - towards early-career talent, and towards shorter-term workforce interventions.
That’s not inherently a bad thing. We need strong entry points into the workforce, and younger learners deserve better pathways into well-paid, high-growth sectors.
But framing this as an either-or - entry-level or advanced skills - misunderstands how modern workforces actually grow.
Organisations aren’t static. They rely on internal mobility. On people stepping up, shifting across, and taking on new challenges. If the UK wants to be a global leader in tech, AI, and digital innovation, it needs a workforce that evolves with those demands - not just one that enters at the ground floor.
The age cap also undermines progress in areas like diversity and inclusion. Many underrepresented groups take longer to reach senior roles due to systemic barriers. Cutting off funded development at the point they’re ready to lead only widens those gaps.
What employers can still do now
The window hasn’t closed - yet. Employers still have time to take advantage of Level 7 funding, as long as learners are enrolled before 31 December 2025.
At Makers, we’re running one final funded cohort of our Level 7 Senior Leader programme, starting 11 November 2025. Anyone who joins this year will remain fully funded through to completion, regardless of the rule change.
If you’re an employer with:
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Senior talent ready to step up
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A levy budget that’s going unspent
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A need to build strategic, digitally fluent leadership
Now is the time to act. And if you’re a mid- to senior-level executive considering your own next step, we’d be glad to talk through the possibilities.
👉 Explore the final fully funded Level 7 Senior Leader programme
Conclusion: What kind of future are we funding?
The world of work isn’t standing still and neither are the skills it demands. As technology accelerates and the workforce ages, decisions about where we focus public investment will shape not just careers, but the resilience and adaptability of the economy as a whole.
Removing funded access to higher-level apprenticeships may save in the short term, but it risks creating gaps in the very leadership we’ll need to navigate long-term change.
For now, employers and individuals still have options. Our final funded Level 7 Senior Leader cohort runs this year, and our Level 5 leadership programme continues to develop the next wave of managers and emerging leaders.
Our final funded Level 7 Senior Leader programme runs this year, the same programme that has helped companies like Holiday Extras build a resilient leadership pipeline rooted in tech. Alongside it, our Level 5 leadership programme continues to develop the next wave of managers and emerging leaders.
👉 Don’t miss your chance to build your leadership pipeline before funding ends. Explore the final fully funded Level 7 Senior Leader cohort.
The bigger question is how we ensure those opportunities - at every level - remain open in the years ahead.
