The Government’s proposed removal of funding for several core apprenticeship routes has a direct impact on the professionals who deliver security services. These are the operatives, supervisors and operational managers who support our sites, safeguard people and property, and act on behalf of both our clients’ brand and our own.

When decisions affect our frontline teams, it becomes difficult to remain a detached observer. We have a responsibility to ask questions, to advocate for, and to support the development of our people.

From September 2026, several apprenticeships used across the security and facilities sectors are expected to lose government funding for new starters. The affected routes include:

• Professional Security Operative, Level 2
• Security First Line Manager, Level 3
• Team Leader, Level 3
• Facilities Management Supervisor, Level 3
• Operations Manager, Level 5

Security has not always been recognised as a profession with clear development pathways, despite the significant responsibilities entrusted to its workforce. Apprenticeships address this gap by providing practical pathways to improved judgement, confidence, and long-term professional development, enabling employers to help individuals build skills and advance in their roles.

Security operatives are often the first to greet visitors, identify potential issues, and respond to changing situations. They regularly operate in public-facing positions and are required to manage risk, communicate effectively, protect assets and keep sites operating safely. Ongoing development is essential, as the quality of their training and capability can have far-reaching consequences on situational outcomes.

At Atlas, candidates for apprenticeship programmes are carefully selected and supported by specialist trainers to give them the best chance of success. Through these opportunities, approximately 10% of Atlas Security colleagues have successfully progressed from frontline roles into supervisory and management positions. The objective has never been to draw down funding simply because it’s available but to identify people with the commitment and aptitude required to succeed, and to give them a structured route into genuine, long-term progression.

In an uncertain market where traditional career paths are often inaccessible, apprenticeships offer a practical alternative. They serve as both entry points and advancement routes, enabling individuals from diverse backgrounds, including those with limited formal qualifications, to pursue skilled and rewarding careers. For employers, apprenticeships help build capable, professional teams by supporting committed individuals to learn on the job, earn recognised certifications, and develop careers in a sector that values competence.

The labour market is under strain. According to the latest ONS overview, UK payrolled employees fell by 104,000 between March 2025 and March 2026, and over one million young people are now outside education, employment, or training. This is a complex challenge, but the availability of well-supported apprentice programmes not only supports those starting their careers but also provides a way for those with established employment to deepen their skills, formalise their experience, gain recognised qualifications, and advance to senior positions.

There are valid concerns about the use of levy funding. Large employers contribute significant amounts to the apprenticeship system, yet this decision would limit security employers’ ability to use those funds for recognised training in their sector. If the levy’s purpose is to build skills where needed, it is reasonable to question why funding generated by security employers cannot be used to develop security professionals.

For clients, this is not an abstract issue. They may not be aware of which specific route has helped a colleague develop, and reasonably so, they have buildings to run, people to protect, and standards to maintain. What they do notice is whether a team communicates clearly, responds calmly, and understands what is required of them when circumstances are busy, awkward or unpredictable.

Structured development produces more assured operatives, stronger leaders, and better-managed sites. When access to these routes is restricted, the impact may not be immediate, but it is significant. Over time, this risks weakening the pipeline of trained, capable professionals essential to the sector.

The question, then, is not only how people enter the sector, but how they progress once they are in it.

We understand the need to review public funding, but we feel this should not undermine the ambition to create more opportunities, particularly at a time when many are considering how technology may reshape their careers. Security remains a sector in which human judgement, presence and responsibility matter. It will continue to provide work that is practical, necessary and rooted in public confidence.

The challenge is that removing funding from core apprenticeships, at a time when the role is becoming more complex and more important, risks cutting off avenues for entry, progression, and structured development in a sector that needs all three.

That is why Atlas Security is supporting coordinated industry advocacy to ensure the government is informed about what this decision means in practice. We are joining others across the sector in calling for the funding position to be reconsidered, and for these apprenticeships to be recognised as part of the UK’s wider protective security capability.

The request is reasonable. If the sector is expected to keep raising standards, support public safety, and develop professional teams, then the training routes that underpin that work need to be protected.

We would like to see the government work with the security industry to maintain funding for existing apprenticeship standards and to support the development of routes that reflect the realities of modern security needs. We also believe that levy funding generated by security employers should, wherever possible, be reinvested in security skills. If funding is raised from a sector with clear and growing skills demands, it should support the development of that sector’s workforce.