That’s why Memcom has brought together an unprecedented coalition of professional and membership bodies to make a clear case to Government: professional bodies must be recognised as strategic partners in delivering skills, productivity and public service reform.
Together with our members, we have written to the Secretary of State to set out how the professional sector can play a stronger, more structured role in supporting national priorities.
The letter
in full
With dozens of co-signatories and supporters from across professions, industries and disciplines.
A coalition representing over one million professionals
The letter is signed by chief executives and leaders from across the professional landscape, representing more than one million individually named professionals, and many more through employer and organisational memberships.
Collectively, professional bodies:
- Set and uphold professional standards
- Accredit skills and qualifications
- Support employers to build workforce capability
- Connect education, training and labour market needs
Our reach spans business, public services, infrastructure, health, science, engineering, leadership, marketing and safety-critical sectors — touching every part of the UK economy and society.
What we are calling for
In the letter, the coalition sets out a clear offer to Government: professional bodies are a ready-made part of the solution to today’s most pressing challenges.
Together, we set the standards, accredit professionals, and support employers and members in building the workforce capabilities that underpin the UK’s economic and social prosperity.
Boosting productivity
Embedding professional standards and accredited skills across the workforce ensures individuals and organisations can perform at their best, improving efficiency, quality and outcomes.
Reforming public services
Professionalising public sector roles — particularly in leadership, project delivery, health and safety — will strengthen capability, improve value for money and support sustainable reform.
Driving industrial growth and future skills
From green technology to advanced manufacturing, professional bodies already deliver workforce solutions for priority sectors, ensuring a pipeline of capable, accredited professionals aligned with industrial strategy.
Our proposals to Government
The coalition sets out three practical proposals to deepen collaboration:
- Strategic engagement: Establish a structured mechanism, such as a cross-sector working group to align professional expertise with policy development and delivery, improving decision-making and reducing delivery risk.
- Skills collaboration: Partner with professional bodies on skills programmes that support innovation, productivity and international competitiveness.
- Formal recognition: Embed professional accreditation within public sector workforce reform and industrial strategies to secure long-term skills investment and improve delivery.
Our combined membership exceeds one million individually named members and reaches beyond them into the companies that we also include in our memberships.
Why professional bodies matter
Professional bodies sit at the interface of employers, education and training providers, and individual professionals. Every day, they help businesses navigate skills shortages, advise on policy, and ensure training and qualifications meet real-world needs.
Their members are delivering complex infrastructure projects, driving R&D, supporting safe and healthy workplaces, enabling green growth and transforming public services often in volatile economic and political conditions. This gives the professional sector a unique, real-time understanding of the pressures facing the UK economy.
At their best, professional bodies are not just regulators or membership organisations, they are strategic partners that build trust, raise standards and enable growth.
By amplifying this message, we can help ensure that professionalism, accredited skills and high standards are recognised as essential foundations for a stronger, more productive UK economy.
An unprecedented show of support
The letter is led by chief executives from organisations including APM, CIPR, CMI, CIM, IoD, CIPD, IOSH and many more, with dozens of co-signatories and supporters from across professions, industries and disciplines.
View the full letter
If you have any questions about the Championing Professionalism letter, or if your organisation would like to be added to the list of signatories or supporters, we would be very pleased to hear from you - Contact Catherine: catherine@memcom.org.uk.
