Chairman of National Apprenticeship Service revels in Apprenticeship Week celebrations.
Simon Waugh, executive chairman of NAS, blogs for TM in the midst of the fourth annual National Apprenticeship Week and observes the heightened atmosphere of enthusiasm for apprenticeships from across sectors.
“We are now in the midst of National Apprenticeship Week 2011 and there is a real buzz around the benefits of recruiting apprentices and vocational training.
The Week is now in its fourth year and takes place from Monday 7 February to Friday 11 February. It has gone from strength to strength due to the wealth of support from partners promoting the benefits of Apprenticeships across the country. This year over 500 events are taking place and there has been a huge amount of positive coverage already.
The Week celebrates the talent and skills of apprentices from across England and see apprentices, employers, providers and wider stakeholders showcase the benefits of Apprenticeship programmes and the value apprentices bring to the organisations they work for. Events and activities organised include careers open days, job swaps, employer breakfast briefings, apprentice challenges and award ceremonies. 72 MPs are going back to the floor to visit apprentices and employers in their constituencies and we are all talking to local employers about their role in recruiting apprentices.
Apprenticeship Week comes at a time when we are all celebrating resurgence in Apprenticeships. This is fantastic to see. In 2009/10 nearly 280,000 people started an Apprenticeship. Current indications suggest that over 300,000 people will start an Apprenticeship in 2010/11. The help ensure this growth we are focusing our marketing on some key sectors, one of which is engineering and manufacturing. Apprenticeships in this sector go all the way up to Higher Level and include frameworks under the banners; Engineering Technology, the Marine Industry and Furniture, Furnishings and Interiors Manufacturing Industry. Full information can be found here: http://www.apprenticeships.org.uk/~/media/Fresh-approach-campaign/NAS-A-FreshApproachtoGrowth-EgineeringManufacturing-6pp.ashx
This expansion will be funded by the government’s investment in Apprenticeships (£1.4 billion for the 2010-11 financial year) alongside the growth and development of frameworks. There are already 200 frameworks suitable for hundreds of job roles and we continue to work with employers and sector skills councils to consider more where there is demand.
We work so hard promoting Apprenticeships and running awareness campaigns like Apprenticeship Week because we know Apprenticeships work. Research undertaken with employers who employ apprentices has also highlighted the benefits their companies reap. 80% of those employers interviewed agree that their apprentices make the workplace more productive and efficient whilst 88% of employers who employ apprentices believe that Apprenticeships lead to a more motivated and satisfied workforce. Employers who employ apprentices also rely on their Apprenticeships programme to provide the skilled workers that they need for the future.
So if you are interested to know more please contact the National Apprenticeship Service. We can provide you with all the information you need about running an Apprenticeship programme.”
Simon Waugh, Chairman, NAS
Visit: www.apprenticeships.org.uk or call us on 08000 150 600.
