Degree-level apprenticeships work across many different disciplines because they are employer-led; aimed towards people at all ages and at all stages of life, based on skills gaps and demand. The principle that this kind of education should be widely available needs to be robustly defended, and the benefits that these programmes bring to Yorkshire’s economy and public services should be plainly set out.

As we head into 2024, small businesses across our region, and the country, are facing myriad challenges. Rising costs, recruitment and retention issues, the climate emergency, pressure to achieve net zero and geopolitical uncertainty to name a few.

Professor Conor Moss Dean of the College of Business, Technology and Engineering and Dean of Sheffield Business School at Sheffield Hallam University.