National Apprenticeship Week
Have you noticed all the exciting things going on in the world of apprenticeships this week?
Maybe you were doing your daily snoop through LinkedIn and saw the hashtag “SkillsForLife” pop up on your feed, or maybe you were switching radio stations and stumbled across an advert about unlocking potential.
Perhaps this made you wonder: why’s there so much talk about apprenticeships this week? Is this a sign I should look for a new career venture and try something…new?
To answer the first question, it’s because it’s National Apprenticeship Week!
For the second question, no comment. But you can find loads of apprenticeships here.
National Apprenticeship Week is an inspiring campaign that has been celebrated for the past 17 years and raises awareness about the positive impact apprentices have on communities, businesses, and personal career growth.
The campaign encourages anyone who is passionate about apprenticeships to promote their role in giving individuals the key skills for a successful career and upskilling an employer’s workforce.
Each day has had a different focus (because who doesn’t love a theme?), bringing apprentices, employers, training providers, End-Point Assessment Organisations (EPAOs), schools, colleges, parents and universities together to celebrate apprenticeships and everyone who helps make them possible.
Who can apply for an apprenticeship?
It’s hard not to spread the word about the amazing advantages individuals can look forward to when taking an apprenticeship. We would shout it from the rooftops if we could!
The only thing standing in our way? Health and safety.
However, one of the main benefits National Apprenticeship Week talks about is the inclusivity and accessibility of apprenticeships.
By sharing posts on social media and spreading the word, post-16 learners can hear about alternative routes to success that aren’t mostly academic based and are open to everyone, no matter their age or background.
This offers learners the freedom to select a pathway that is more suited to themselves and their career choices!
With this alternative option, apprentices can grow personally and professionally in a sector and level of their choice.
They can also look forward to:
earning a wage whilst gaining hands-on experience
networking with sector professionals
gaining a firm understanding of their role and the sector they work in
growing within an organisation
having a dynamic route to success
receiving a recognised qualification once their apprenticeship is completed.
The benefits of hiring apprentices
The great thing about National Apprenticeship Week is that it also encourages all the fantastic companies out there to demonstrate what makes them stand out as employers by sharing the apprenticeships they offer and the heaps of support they offer their employees.
In doing this, employers can showcase the important role apprenticeships play in boosting the productivity of their workforce and creating a team of dedicated employees!
In addition, hiring apprentices can help employers:
improve the quality of their services and products
build a team of individuals whose skills reflect the needs of the business
nurture and grow talent
increase motivation amongst their workforce by investing in their employees.
In return, employers contribute to the apprentice’s journey by providing hands-on experience and teaching them the tricks of the trade.
When an apprentice reaches their EPA, it’s their time to shine and demonstrate all the interesting skills and knowledge they’ve learnt while working for their employer.
In this last stage of the apprenticeship, we believe the employer should continue to be involved in the process, which is why we have live planning assessment meetings that bring together apprentices, employers and training providers!
Our live planning assessment meetings give everyone the opportunity to meet the assessor, learn more about the EPA process, and remove any last-minute exam jitters the apprentice may be feeling.
Celebrating apprentices
Of course, it would be difficult to celebrate apprenticeships without mentioning the amazing achievements apprentices make during their training programmes and EPAs!
As an EPAO, we’ve worked with training providers since 2017, helping guide apprentices towards their next big step and giving them the tools they need to kick-start their careers.
Over the years, we’ve witnessed the commitment and dedication apprentices put into their EPA and demonstrating all the time, effort, and hard work they have applied to their apprenticeships, despite any challenges faced.
As part of National Apprenticeship Week, we spoke with Richard Gibbons, a Children, Young People and Families Manager Apprentice, who achieved a distinction during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Gibbon’s is a great example of an apprentice whose passion towards their role drives them to persevere and progress their career, no matter the circumstances.
How does TQUK support apprentices?
Ensuring apprentices are ready to take the next step and giving them the confidence to apply their skills into real-life scenarios is at the heart of what we do as an EPAO.
A huge part of this process is led by our wonderful assessors, who wanted to share with you what makes them proud to be an End-Point Assessor at TQUK!
““For me, it is knowing that I am contributing to making early years a more qualified and valued workforce, which makes me proud of what I do.” ”
“As an End-Point Assessor I am proud to be able to contribute to ensuring that the sector continues to grow in employing a strong and knowledgeable workforce and also seeing just how much this means to many apprentices on the EPA journey.”
“I think as time has gone on in the role I appreciate more the difference my approach to apprentices supports them through the end point assessment. This was brought home to me a few weeks ago when in a planning meeting, a member of staff I took through the process over a year ago, was in the background and before a planning meeting, came up to the screen thanking me again and explained how she used the feedback I gave to complete more online training opportunities.”
If you are interested in our EPA services or want to know how we can help, contact us today to find out more!