What happened in National Apprenticeship Week?
National Apprenticeship Week was held this February. The whole apprenticeship community came together to focus on raising the profile of apprenticeships as a great way to gain skills and ‘Build the Future’. This was the theme of the event now in its 14th year. We take a look at what happened nationally and locally.
Build the Future was the theme for this year’s National Apprenticeship Week. It was a week of virtual activity across the nation, but this did not restrict the size and number of activities to spread the apprenticeship message and attract potential future apprentices. National Apprenticeship Service reported that #NAW2021 has beaten all expectations.
At a national level, as you might expect, government ministers got involved. The Prime Minister’s NAW launch video was viewed by over 150,000 people. Ministers attended and spoke at over 24 virtual events. More than 600 virtual events were held across the country.
Across the Liverpool City Region, local companies, Be More Ambassadors and the Apprenticeship Support by Be More Team were also very active. One example is The Sovini Group, a property management and development company. Their apprenticeship showcase event was open to all students, and their parents, from across the Liverpool City Region who were in Year 11 and 6th Form currently. They learnt about The Sovini Group, the process involved in applying for roles and heard from apprentices in the business. They discussed how apprenticeships spanned the business from business administration to plastering. They also highlighted the application process and how to sell yourself to improve the chances of getting one. At present The Sovini Group has 45 apprentices working with them in a variety of roles and they pride themselves in ensuring that they offer the best possible journey for apprentices to develop the skills they need.
The Apprenticeship Support by Be More Team were very active facilitating morning and afternoon virtual information sessions at schools and Job Centre Plus (JCP) venues. The first one at St Helen’s JCP proved popular and began the series over the week. Halton JCP, Kings Leadership Academy Hawthornes, Deyes High School with Be More Ambassador Alstom complemented the Learn Live information available to all Liverpool City Region residents.
The information sessions covered all you need to know about apprenticeships. They explained what apprenticeships are and how to find them. They delved into the key elements of an apprenticeship, what organisations you’ll be working with and what they will expect of you, particularly as you’ll be working alongside industry experts every day. There are different levels of apprenticeship. The presenters talked about these and the different skills and qualifications you’ll gain as you complete your training.
On the 10th February a virtual exhibition with workshops was held. The National Apprenticeship Show featured 11 workshops from organisations from the public and private sector. There were 42 exhibitors from across the UK, including Liverpool City Region based Alstom, with virtual stands in the hall. Clicking on the virtual stand took you to apprenticeship information on their website and there was a useful live chat to explore apprenticeships with the people on the exhibition stand. A resources section had a choice of over 100 videos to download to a swag bag from 33 virtual exhibitors.
Social media was alive with the ‘Build the Future’ message. Even the Royal Family tweeted about National Apprenticeship Week. #NAW2021 trended at number 1 nationally on Monday, and #AskAnEmployer and #AskAnApprentice both appeared in the top 10 twitter trends. Boris Johnson, BBC Bitesize, Steph’s Packed Lunch (Channel 4), NHS Employers, Bank of England and many more took to social media to highlight the benefits and opportunities apprenticeships bring.
National Apprenticeship Week was exciting and helped to raise the profile of apprenticeships, but there is all year round support for people looking for apprenticeships in the Liverpool City Region. The Apprenticeship Support Team by Be More can provide you with impartial advice when you need it and you can find current opportunities on the Be More website.
