NATIONAL APPRENTICESHIP WEEK 2020

LCR Apprenticeship Community Urged to “Look Beyond” in 2020

“Look Beyond” has been announced as the exciting new theme for the 2020 National Apprenticeship Week. Employers and providers are invited to adopt the “Look Beyond” campaign, which will celebrate the variety and value of apprenticeships.

The week-long event is set to unite employers, apprentices and communities in shining a spotlight on all the apprenticeships available. In particular, the aim is to engage a fresh audience of employers, parents, teachers and students. Do let us know what activities you have planned for National Apprenticeship Week 2020 so we can promote these on our media platforms and support you if required! Let us know by emailing us on [email protected]

Value of apprenticeships to industry

As a starting point, Apprenticeship Week 2020 will build on the 2019 “Fire It Up” campaign. The week-long national event starts on the 3 February 2020 and will quickly generate excitement about the many types of apprenticeships and the value they bring to commerce and industry.

The National Apprenticeship Service is asking employers, schools and providers across England to help get the message out about how many different types of apprenticeships there are. Alongside this, the objective is to demonstrate the advantages apprentices bring to the workplace.

Early planning

Siobhan Saunders of Liverpool City Region Apprenticeship Hub is urging early planning:

“Let’s mobilise apprentices, ambassadors, employers and providers and start planning how to showcase the variety of apprenticeships available in Liverpool City Region. It’s not too early to start planning activities for February that will demonstrate the strength of Apprenticeships in the region and celebrate our many success stories.”

The national campaign is also aiming to reverse any remaining misconceptions about apprenticeships. With this in mind, individuals will be targeted with messages to help them understand the actual value of becoming an apprentice.

To encourage more employers to engage with Apprenticeships, the campaign will also focus on illustrating the return on investment apprenticeships can deliver. According to The Institute of the Motor Industry’s latest version of its Return On Investment Calculator revealed that even after taking into account the Apprenticeship Levy and full supervision costs, apprentices can deliver 175 – 200% ROI.

Six steps to take

Here are six steps providers, employers and other supporters can take right now to boost advance participation in “Look Beyond”:

• Follow @apprenticeships on twitter and LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/national-apprenticeship-service/) to hear about the toolkit and campaign materials as soon as they are released
• create an alert for #NAW2020 to get in on the discussion now and in the run-up to February next year
• Ask former apprentices to visit their schools and inspire the next generation of apprenticeships. Also, look for networking events they may be able to speak at to help spread the word to a new audience.
• Plan your communications ahead for maximum impact. Can an apprentice take over your twitter feed for the day, write a blog or put themselves forward for a media interview?
• Consider hosting an event, inviting potential new partners and sections of the community to come along and learn about the diversity and benefits of apprenticeships.
• Calculate the RoI apprenticeships have in your organisation and share the results

National Apprenticeship Service will announce more details of how to get involved over the coming months. Bear in mind that in the short term, information might be limited due to Purdah until after the General Election on 12 December.

If you have any ideas for how to contribute and participate in next year’s campaign, we’d love to hear from you. Email: [email protected].