Qualifications open the door - work-ready skills help people walk through it.

Hello, Future Force Community!

Welcome to our first blog post of 2026, here we are sharing why its important to be work ready as well as having the qualifications to be successful in todays workplace.

Students are leaving colleges and universities with strong qualifications, solid technical knowledge and impressive academic results. But a growing question remains: are they actually ready for work? 

Across apprenticeships, graduate schemes and early-career roles, employers are telling us the same thing. The qualification is there. The confidence, resilience and workplace skills often aren’t. 

The growing skills gap we can’t ignore 

Recent research from the Chartered Management Institute (CMI) highlights a widening gap between academic achievement and real workplace readiness. 

Their findings show that while graduates’ technical and academic knowledge is often high, many lack core employability skills such as: 

• Resilience 

• Critical thinking 

• Emotional intelligence 

• Communication 

• Leadership and self-management 

Only 27% of students say they are completely confident they can demonstrate these skills. Meanwhile, nearly 80% of employers believe graduates do not arrive in the workplace with the skills they need to be truly work-ready. 

This isn’t about capability or potential, it’s about exposure, practice and support. 

Why qualifications alone aren’t enough anymore 

For many young people and career starters, the transition into work is one of the biggest changes they’ve experienced. Suddenly, expectations shift: 

• Feedback looks different 

• Time is structured differently 

• Relationships with managers and colleagues are new 

• Accountability feels real 

• Pressure shows up in unfamiliar ways 

These are not skills most people are taught at school, college or university. 

Even apprentices, who are learning on the job, can struggle if they aren’t given the tools to understand how work works. Without support, small challenges can quickly turn into confidence issues, disengagement or attrition. 

What we’re seeing through our work 

At Future Force, we work closely with apprentices, early-career employees and the businesses that support them. We also collaborate with organisations like the Bournemouth University placements team, alongside reviewing national research and employer feedback. 

What’s clear is this: 

People don’t fail because they lack ability, they struggle because they haven’t been equipped with the skills to navigate the workplace. 

Employers want motivated, capable people. Early-career employees want to do well. The gap sits in the middle. 

Bridging the gap: our Foundations of Work training 

In response, we’ve designed Basecamp: Foundations of Work a practical training programme for apprentices and those in their first two years of employment. 

This isn’t another academic course. It’s focused on the skills people actually need to thrive at work, including: 

• Communicating effectively at work 

• Managing time, priorities and workload 

• Receiving and giving feedback 

• Understanding workplace expectations 

• Building resilience and confidence 

• Navigating change and pressure 

The programme can be delivered as a bootcamp or condensed course, and is bespoke to the needs of the employer and the individuals taking part. 

Why this matters in 2026 

As businesses plan for the future workforce, work-ready skills are no longer a “nice to have”. They are essential. 

Investing in these skills early: 

• Improves retention 

• Builds confidence and performance faster 

• Reduces pressure on managers 

• Helps people stay, grow and succeed 

Qualifications open the door - work-ready skills help people walk through it. 

If you’re thinking about how to better support apprentices, graduates or early-career employees in 2026, we’d love to talk.