National Apprenticeship Week – February 8-14

The National Apprenticeship Week has reached its 14th yearly edition, and it aims to celebrate apprenticeships around England. The week of February 8 will see a number of events taking place in schools and colleges around the country. Last year, there were 1.250 events.

According to the Government’s website, “apprenticeship employers use the opportunity to promote the success of their apprentices and highlight the huge benefits to other employers, of all sizes, who are thinking of taking on an apprentice.” The events will also see former apprentices sharing their stories and encouraging a new generation of apprentices to join the workforce.

Some of the famous apprentices in history include Leonardo da Vinci (apprentice painter), Elvis Prestley (apprentice electrician), Vincent van Gogh (apprentice art dealer), and Jamie Oliver (catering apprentice).

Look Beyond

This year, the theme for the National Apprenticeship Week is “Look Beyond”, and it focuses on the value of diversity for an employer. “<Look Beyond> will serve as a rallying cry for the apprenticeship community to showcase the true meaning of diversity within apprenticeships,” according to Gov.uk. From the same source, we learn that over 90% of those who achieve an apprenticeship go into work, or receive further training. And, in even better news, those who take on a high apprenticeship can earn £150,000 more, on average, over their lifetime.

Statistics

According to official statistics, 814,800 people were taking part in an apprenticeship in England in 2017/2018. There were 375,800 apprenticeship starts and 276,200 achievements. The number is lower than the ones seen in past years, due to the introduction of a new apprenticeship funding system in the first half of 2017.

However, out of those, 9 out of 10 were satisfied with their apprenticeship, and almost 100% felt that it increased their ability to do their job.