National Apprenticeship Week is the moment in the education sector calendar when the entire apprenticeship community unites to celebrate everything that is brilliant about apprenticeships. 2022 marked the fifteenth year of this annual celebration - it promised to be bigger and better than ever, and it certainly didn’t disappoint.
The positive buzz around apprenticeships has never been greater. Amazing Apprenticeships has seen record levels of engagement from schools and colleges, parents and carers, employers and the media, all keen to explore apprenticeships in more detail and to build their knowledge and understanding.
The week has also provided an important platform to discuss and showcase how apprenticeships can be used to support our most disadvantaged individuals, and to engage employers in a much deeper level of conversation around social mobility, diversity and inclusion. Our Time for Change workshop kicked off the week with more than 500 high profile employers seeking to learn from Coca-Cola, Astra Zeneca, the University of Oxford and the Social Mobility Commission about how they have been working with Amazing Apprenticeships to address diversity in their workforce.
The positive buzz around apprenticeships has never been greater
So, how can we take this momentum forward for the rest of the year?
Collaboration is key. The benefit of the combined efforts of organisations and individuals across the country means that we achieve a huge groundswell of support and activity. The unifying effect encourages us to we work together to amplify and celebrate each other. As a sector we are fantastic at collaborating – NAW2022 sets us up nicely to do even more.
Real stories from local role models. Hearing real stories from apprentices and businesses is the lightbulb moment for many. During the week we hear from apprentices about the life-changing difference their apprenticeship has made and from businesses about the tangible benefits that apprenticeships have brought to their workforce. Regularly sharing local stories is a fantastic way to continue the drumbeat around apprenticeships and ensure that we’re finding new ways to reach different audiences with these positive and inspirational messages.
Sharing what works. One of the reasons I love National Apprenticeship Week is because the entire apprenticeship community opens its doors and tells as many people as possible about what works. Whether it’s helping to get employers started with taking on their first apprentice, or explaining to a job-seeker how to navigate the apprenticeship recruitment process – we share our combined knowledge, best practice and help each other. As we settle into our post-pandemic and post-Brexit world, I have a feeling that working together in this way will be needed more than ever.
At Amazing Apprenticeships we’re building on this year’s success, already working with employers, schools and training providers to do even more in the 12 months before NAW2023. We’d love to hear from you!