Keith Smith of the Education and Skills Funding Agency explains its work to support and promote apprenticeships. 

Apprenticeships provide people of all ages with the opportunity to progress in work and life by giving individuals a clear route to success, whilst apprenticeships give employers the skilled people they need to grow their business.

Apprenticeships make sense for individuals and employers alike and there’s lots being done across the sector to promote the benefits of apprenticeships to individuals and employers.    

Work to recruit 1000 individuals across England, who work in education and training, to sign up to the Apprenticeship Champions Network has already exceeded its target – with a current network of 1027 promoting apprenticeships

Free to join, members offer a positive voice on apprenticeships – speaking to potential apprentices, parents, employers and stakeholders about the benefits of apprenticeships. Each champion receives a toolkit of useful, usable resources, and is given access to the latest apprenticeships support and information. These champions are developing new and inspiring ways of reaching young people in schools. 

Thousands of vacancies have already been announced through the Higher and Degree apprenticeship listing  – giving young people access to a wider choice of apprenticeships when considering their options for entering higher education.

The higher and degree-level apprenticeship vacancies announced are in engineering, aerospace, cyber security, nuclear science, business management, data analysis, HR, finance and media. The opportunities are available across England including Newcastle, Salford, Derby, Birmingham, Bristol, Plymouth, London and Bournemouth.

Many of these vacancies were also available on the Government’s find an apprenticeship website – which has between 12,000 and 20,000 vacancies on it at any one time – and featured on other portals including the UCAS career finder site. I am also pleased that the Higher and degree apprenticeships guide, produced in conjunction with Which? University is now also available – listing over 80 universities where higher and degree level apprenticeships can be undertaken.

We want to celebrate apprenticeships and the benefits they bring. The National Apprenticeship Awards 2018, launched recently – are looking for apprentices and employers worthy of winning the prestigious categories. These awards highlight the brilliant work that goes on in the apprenticeship community and shines the spotlight on some innovative and successful apprentices and apprentice employers.

I am delighted that the Institute of Student Employers wants to know more about the work we do. Apprenticeships offer opportunity and ambition and are a meaningful route to success. In sharing our message they are supporting the fantastic possibilities apprenticeships offer. 

Keith is Director of Apprenticeships, you can find out more by visiting GOV.UK
Follow @Apprenticeships on Twitter and the National Apprenticeship Service on LinkedIn to keep up to date with all the latest on apprenticeships.

ASK project

The Apprenticeship Support and Knowledge in Schools project (ASK) is designed to give schools and other educational establishments across England free support to develop and transform how students think about apprenticeships.

The support depends on the size of each establishment, focus and requirements, but could include awareness assemblies, application workshops, a careers fair, free resources, a teacher CPD session or a whole range of other options promoting apprenticeships.

Last year, over 208,000 students across 2000+ establishments received the apprenticeship support they requested through the ASK project. 

As part of the ASK project, schools and educational establishments in England can also access the very latest apprenticeship information through Live Broadcasts from some of the biggest apprenticeship employers in England. This project will deliver 60 live broadcasts throughout the year; with employers including BBC, Highways England, Capgemini and Royal Mail already featuring in the broadcasts.