Membership Bespoke and Apprentago have launched Sector Futures to give UK trade associations a new way to help their members recruit and develop talent. By bringing together apprenticeship recruitment, funding support and specialist training, the partnership aims to make apprenticeship programmes more accessible to businesses while allowing associations to strengthen their services and generate potential additional revenue.
The initiative comes at a time when employers continue to face workforce and skills challenges. Through Sector Futures, associations can connect members with apprenticeship services without having to establish their own recruitment and training infrastructure.
Participating associations may earn income when their members use the services, although the amount will depend on association size, participation levels and the agreed commercial model. A dedicated online calculator provides an opportunity to assess illustrative returns.
Department for Education figures show that England recorded 308,770 apprenticeship starts between August 2025 and April 2026, an 8.7% rise year on year. People aged 25 and over accounted for more than half of these starts, highlighting the role apprenticeships can play in developing talent beyond the school-leaver market.
Government funding can also help reduce the cost of training. Depending on the employer, apprentice and programme, eligible businesses may receive support covering up to 100% of training and assessment costs, with additional hiring payments available in qualifying circumstances.
Trade associations are well placed to help employers make use of these opportunities. The Trade Association Forum (TAF) identifies close to 1,000 active associations across the UK, while its own membership comprises more than 180 associations representing 200,000 businesses. Their reach across industries such as construction, manufacturing, transport and professional services gives them a valuable role in connecting employers with solutions to emerging skills needs.
However, many associations do not have the in-house resources to oversee apprenticeship recruitment, funding guidance and programme delivery for their members.
Sector Futures provides a way to bridge that gap, enabling associations to offer access to specialist apprenticeship support without having to create a service from scratch.
Member businesses can benefit from candidate attraction and recruitment, guidance on available funding, training options tailored to their industries and support from the first enquiry through to an apprentice starting.
The partnership also creates a potential commercial benefit for associations, linking additional income to member engagement with the services.
Combining industry knowledge with apprenticeship delivery
Membership Bespoke contributes more than 15 years of experience working with trade associations, while Apprentago brings its nationwide apprenticeship platform, candidate attraction capabilities and network of specialist training providers.
By combining these strengths, Sector Futures aims to help employers navigate the apprenticeship process more easily and give associations another way to support their members’ workforce development needs.
Dennis Howes, Co-Founder of Membership Bespoke, said: “Having worked closely with trade associations for more than 15 years, particularly around recruitment and talent, we hear first-hand about the skills and workforce challenges facing both associations and the industries they represent.
“Trade associations are in a unique position because they know their industries, understand where skills gaps are emerging and already have trusted relationships with the organisations trying to solve them.
“Sector Futures gives them a practical way to use that position to help their members find apprentices, understand and access available funding and navigate the process without the association having to build an apprenticeship service itself.
“Importantly, it can also create an additional source of revenue for the association at the same time as delivering something of genuine value to its members.”
Carlo Weaver, Founder & CEO of Apprentago, added: “SMEs are the lifeblood of the British economy, yet many businesses that could benefit from taking on an apprentice simply do not know where to start, how to access funding or who can support them with training.
“At Apprentago, we believe every young person should know which employers in their local area are offering apprenticeships, and every employer should have a straightforward way to find and develop the next generation of talent.
“Through Sector Futures, we’re bringing those two worlds together by working with trade associations that already have trusted relationships with thousands of businesses across the UK.
“It makes sense socially and commercially. We are helping people access opportunities, supporting employers to grow through apprenticeships and enabling trade associations to be financially rewarded for helping to make that happen.”
Apprenticeships support more than young people entering work
Apprenticeships can be relevant to people at different stages of their careers, including those seeking a new direction or established employees looking to develop additional skills.
Between August 2025 and April 2026, England recorded 161,670 apprenticeship starts among people aged 25 and over, according to Department for Education figures. This group accounted for 52.4% of all starts, representing a 17.5% increase compared with the same period a year earlier.
Sector Futures supports access to apprenticeship pathways across multiple industries through its network of training providers, including specialists in particular occupations and sectors. Programme availability and funding remain subject to the applicable eligibility requirements.
Making sense of government apprenticeship support
The amount of government support available varies according to the employer, the apprentice and the training programme.
In England, non-levy-paying employers meeting the eligibility criteria can receive 100% government funding for training and assessment for apprentices aged 16 to 24, up to the applicable funding band maximum. The standard government contribution for apprentices aged 25 and over is 95%.[2]
Additional assistance can include £1,000 payments for certain eligible apprentices and foundation apprenticeship incentives. A £2,000 hiring payment is also available for qualifying starts under the October 2026 policy.
Creating value for members and associations
Alongside its workforce benefits, Sector Futures offers associations a potential source of revenue connected to member participation.
Associations can use the online calculator to explore indicative outcomes based on their membership and expected service uptake. These figures are illustrative rather than guaranteed, with actual income determined by participation and agreed commercial terms.
Membership Bespoke is now engaging with trade associations to explore how the initiative could be tailored to individual industries and deliver value to both members and the association.
Explore your association’s potential revenue opportunity:
https://membershipbespoke.com/sectorfuturescalculatorpage
Read more about Sector Futures and partnership options:
https://membershipbespoke.com/sectorfuturespartnershipopportunity
