PLAN AHEAD FOR NATIONAL APPRENTICESHIP WEEK 2025

National Apprenticeship Week (NAW) for 2025 runs from Monday, February 10th, to Sunday, February 16^th and the theme is ‘Skills for Life’. 

Employers, schools and communities are now putting plans into place following the launch of a new website[https://naw.appawards.co.uk/] and communications toolkit [https://naw.appawards.co.uk/toolkit].

Each year, NAW is the most hotly anticipated apprenticeship date in the calendar, with many employers planning well ahead to raise awareness of their involvement with the programme. And the week-long occasion promises to make the biggest impact yet in 2025.

Apprentices, providers and employers will band together to bang the drum for apprenticeships. The message is set to be amplified through teachers, careers advisors, parents and carers who will all be inspired by the diversity and opportunity offered by apprenticeships.

Free Webinars for Employers

Amazing Apprenticeships is behind an on-demand webinar [https://amazingapprenticeships.com/resource/employers-planning-for-national-apprenticeship-week-2025/] aimed at employers and stakeholders, sharing how to make the most of one of the highlights on the annual apprenticeship calendar.

Their founder and director, Amanda Morrison, is urging employers to set up a countdown checklist. She says: 

“This is an entire week of celebrating everything that is amazing about apprenticeships. Apprentices will take centre stage with their employers to shout about the benefits for individuals and for organisations.”

Now Is The Time

Now is the time to start planning. Employers that want to get ahead of the curve can take inspiration and ideas from ‘Twenty-Five Ways to Celebrate’ via the PDF here[https://amazingapprenticeships.com/app/uploads/2024/06/Employers-25-ways-to-celebrate-NAW-2025-1.pdf] Suggestions range from management going ‘back to the floor’ to spend time with apprentices to hosting business breakfasts and getting on board with the social media daily themes. A complete toolkit is to follow in the coming days. 

National Apprenticeships Week highlights how apprenticeships can drive a business forward by addressing skills gaps, recruiting new talent, and enhancing employee retention. 

Ideas for Getting Involved

National Apprenticeships Week 2025 offers a sparkling showcase for employers to recognise and celebrate their apprentices and all they have achieved. It’s also a chance to profile how your organisation invests in staff and priorities skills development.

Apprentice employers can begin a countdown checklist, start engaging apprentices and keep a lookout for the toolkit. Here are some simple ways to get involved if you are an organisation that employs apprentices:

• Plan a week-long social media campaign that features your apprentice(s). For example, you could ask your apprentice to post about a day in their life at work. Not only will it shine a light on them, it will also be an opportunity for your company to gain exposure on social media platforms. Just don’t forget to use the #NAW2025 hashtag!
  
• Take advantage of the publicity that NAW generates, and advertise any vacant apprenticeship positions you have during that week.
  
• Encourage apprentice managers to highlight the achievements of their apprentices at a staff meeting, and deliver a thank-you to each one personally via email or in person. Or you could even arrange a special celebration lunch!
  
• Develop case studies of your apprentice(s) to share on your website, social media or with the local press who will all be looking for apprenticeship-related stories. You can send any case studies to be shared on the BeMore platform, too!