Apprenticeships Deliver Business Development Newsletter

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1 Apprenticeships Deliver Business Development Newsletter Apprenticeships newsletter Welcome to Issue Seven of Apprenticeships Deliver, the quarterly newsletter that keeps you up-to-date with all things Apprenticeships. This publication is primarily intended for colleagues looking for the latest information from a national policy basis, along with local intelligence on best practice to engage with young people and adults around careers information, advice and guidance. In this issue National Apprenticeship Award winners Promoting Apprenticeships National Apprenticeship Week National Apprenticeship Awards 2014 Ambassador Toolkit Good news stories Tenth National Apprenticeship Awards Winners Announced! Five companies, three apprentices and one former apprentice are celebrating after taking home top prizes at the National Apprenticeship Awards The winners, representing a range of categories ranging from Unilever Higher Apprentice of the Year to Jaguar Land Rover Small Employer of the Year, beat off competition from over 1,600 entrants to be presented with their awards by Skills and Enterprise Minister, Matthew Hancock at The Skills Show at the NEC in Birmingham on Thursday 14th November. The Awards, now in their tenth year, are run by the National Apprenticeship Service and recognise excellence in two areas: businesses that grow their own talent with apprentices and apprentices who have made a significant contribution to their workplaces. Winners included Lydia Webster from Truro who was named The Learndirect Intermediate apprentice of the year and Sadie Hawkins from Winchester who was named the EAL Advanced level apprentice of the year. Also, in the employer category BAE Systems won large employer of the year. Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg was guest of honour at the Awards and said: To lock in our economic recovery we need a new generation of talent entering the world of work and I am committed to making sure young people today get the opportunities they need to realise their full potential Since 2010, we have created a million and a half new Apprenticeships but none of that would have been possible without events like this and the support of businesses who go that extra mile to help our apprentices progress. I was delighted to be able to meet so many of our young apprentices and businesses from across England at the Apprenticeship Awards tonight - it is the drive and ambition that we celebrated here that will, in the years ahead, help our country and its people thrive. To view a full list of winners from the awards please click here. 1

2 Apprenticeships: What can you do to promote them? Want to promote Apprenticeships to young people that you work with, but not sure how to go about doing it? Why not Arrange an event as part of National Apprenticeship Week 2014 (3-7 March 2014). Download the toolkit here. Ask an ambassador from Inspiring the Future to come in and talk to your students Use the New Av Live system to show live vacancies on your organisations website Your local NAS contacts Attend an Apprenticeships Explained Simon Bowker webinar and run Apprenticeship Business Development Manager information sessions at your school North East Download the Av App from the app store and browse local vacancies. Simply type in Av Search into your app Karen Hughes Business Development Adviser North East National Apprenticeship Week 3-7 th March 2014 The overarching theme for National Apprenticeship Week 2014 is: Great Apprenticeships Great Businesses are made by apprentices and Apprenticeships lead to Great Prospects. It is about demonstrating that Apprenticeships are great for businesses, personal careers and creating opportunities for both employers and apprentices. National Apprenticeship Week Pledgeometer To mark National Apprenticeship Week 2014, we have launched a pledgeometer for the first time. The pledgeometer will allow employers to pledge apprentice job vacancies in the run up to, and during the week. On 7th March, the final day of National Apprenticeship Week 2014, the National Apprenticeship Service will publish a list of all employers who have made a pledge, and celebrate the overall number of pledges in their PR. Activity Form If you are planning an event for National Apprenticeship Week, which could also take place before or after the week, please do let us know. We can promote the event on our website and inform Ministers and MPs of activities that are going on throughout the country. Fill in the online activity form on our website to keep us informed Event Submission Form - Apprenticeships Merchandising Site A special Merchandising site for NAW is now online and available to use. The site gives you full access to a range of pre-prepared prepared National Apprenticeship Week 2014 marketing collateral whereby you can order ready to go merchandise, customisable prints and merchandise, or customisable downloads. You have the option to add your logo, event details and activity description to a range of materials, such as posters, flyers, invitations and banners. Merchandising Site - Apprenticeships 24+ Advanced Learning Loans Regulations for the removal of Apprenticeships from the 24+ Advanced Learning Loans Scheme were laid before Parliament on 13 February and are set to come in to force on 7 March To support this change, The Skills Funding Agency have published the following information on the 24+ Advanced Learning Loans webpage: Provider operational guidance A revised policy overview document Addendum to the Funding Rules 2013/2014 Apprenticeship Vacancies Where can I get an Apprenticeship? With between 10,000 and 15,000 vacancies Live at any one time you can apply using Apprenticeship vacancies which can be found at You can now use Av Live to display live apprenticeship vacancies directly onto your website 2

3 National Apprenticeship Awards 2014 now open for entries The National Apprenticeship Awards 2014 opened for entries on Monday 27 January.Employers and apprentices will soon be able to compete to be named the best of the best on a regional and national level. The Awards are a celebration of Apprenticeships across England recognising the hard work and commitment shown towards training. This year business and individuals have the opportunity to compete in one of the ten categories listed below. Small Employer of the Year: 1 24 Medium Employer of the Year: Large Employer of the Year: 250 4,999 Macro Employer of the Year: 5,000+ Newcomer SME of the Year up to 249 Newcomer Large Employer of the Year over 250+ Apprentice of the Year categories Intermediate Level (level 2) Advanced Level (level 3) Higher Apprentice (level 4 or higher) Apprenticeship Champion category If you work closely with any outstanding Apprenticeship employers and apprentices please encourage them to enter. The regional stage finalists will be announced in September and the National winners will be announced at The Skills Show in November To enter visit Inspiring the Future Inspiring the Future is a free service that connects state schools and colleges with thousands of people from all sectors and professions, who have pledged to give just one hour per year to speak to young people about their job, career and the education route they took. Volunteers and schools are connected securely online, with volunteers receiving invites from local schools and colleges to see if they can attend events during the academic year. Already to date over 2,000 schools and colleges and nearly 7,000 volunteers have signed up. To sign up as a school, individual volunteer or register your organisation for fee, simple go to: Apprenticeships in Numbers 2012/13 A staggering 510,200 people started an Apprenticeship in England in 2012/13. Of them 114,000 were years old, 165,500 were between and 230,000 were over the age of 25. Also, in the academic year 2012/13 there was just over 128,000 vacancies posted on Apprenticeship vacancies (Av). This is an increase of 27% on last year s vacancies. Nearly 16% of the vacancies posted on Av were Advanced level Apprenticeships, 1 % were Higher level apprenticeships and 83% were Intermediate level Apprenticeships. The number of candidates registered on the system in the last academic year was 661,000 (a 10% increase on the previous year). In total 1.4 Million applications were made. The most common type of vacancy on Av was Business Administration and Law which accounted for 42% of the vacancies. Careers Box A range of videos from Apprenticeship TV are now available on careers resources website Careers Box Careers Crowd School Tour In 2014 the Career Crowd tour will be rolled out to schools across England. The main aim of the tour is to get students talking about careers and give a memorable experience that will help them make an informed decision about life after school or college. They are designed to be inspiring sessions using rap and the spoken word. To register your schools interest in the tour visit New IAG Resources The National Apprenticeship Service has been refreshing Apprenticeship resources for schools and Information, advice and guidance professionals. Please click here for a library of presentations, lesson plans, workbooks, posters and other resources for you to use in promoting Apprenticeships to young people andadults On apprentice.tv, a host of information films and guidance on how to apply for an Apprenticeship, is being backed by new resources including: A new How to make a flying start to your Apprenticeship film features apprentices and employers offering tips and advice. Skills Funding Statement The Skills Funding Statement is published annually and sets out the government s funding priorities for the skills system. The 2013 to 2016 statement reflects the reforms in Rigour and Responsiveness in Skills, published in April 2013, and focuses on delivering the skills that employers and individuals need.

4 Apprenticeship Ambassadors - Toolkit Your Local NAS team have designed and developed a toolkit for use with Young Ambassador networks. The aim of the toolkit is to develop consistent and wide reaching mechanisms to cascade positive messages about Apprenticeships and legacy for Apprentice Ambassadors and their achievements. This toolkit has been designed to provide apprentice ambassadors with advice and guidance that can be used when they are at events, or called upon as a spokesperson in their Ambassador role. The toolkit is not intended to be prescriptive. It can be adapted for a local flavour and it is important that apprentices use their own words and draw on their own personal experiences when talking about skills and training issues. However the toolkit provides a helpful framework for input and will help ensure consistent and quality messages about Apprenticeships are promoted. It includes an outline of the Ambassador role as follows; To engage with education, industry and the Government and work with existing programmes like Inspiring the Future, to motivate, inspire and encourage young people to make an informed decision about their future Proactively promote Apprenticeships to employers to highlight the numerous benefits of recruiting apprentices Support and influence the provision of information, advice and guidance for young people Act as a role model to promote and encourage diversity within Apprenticeships Share your experience, knowledge and skills and talk positively and honestly about your Apprenticeship journey to inspire others Promote the benefits and opportunities that Apprenticeships provide Promote progression to Advanced and Higher Level Apprenticeships. If you would like to utilise the toolkit in your local area please get in touch with your local NAS contact. WorldSkills Theo Paphitis, the leading entrepreneur and patron of WorldSkills UK The Skills Show, is calling on the UK s most talented to put their skills to the test and enter the WorldSkills UK National Competitions. Apprentices and learners can register to enter WorldSkills UK Competitions from 10 February until 21 March, The Competitions inspire young people and adults to be ambitious in their pursuit of skills to the highest level. Entering the Competitions is proven to catapult a person s career and taking part enables a competitor to build on their skills, test their knowledge against peers in industry and showcase their potential. Competitors who are successful in the regional heats and reach the finals of the WorldSkills UK National Competitions will battle it out to be named the best in the UK in their chosen skill in front of over 80,000 visitors at The Skills Show. The Skills Show takes place from the November at the NEC Birmingham. Put skills to the test - Apprenticeships Apprenticeship TV You Tube The National Apprenticeship Service has launched a new film, which explores how the recently introduced Higher Apprenticeships in Legal Services are benefiting companies in the legal sector. The new film is part of the sector in the spotlight series being created by the National Apprenticeship Service to promote Apprenticeships in key industry sectors. Other films in the series are available on apprentice.tv and cover Apprenticeships in industries such as Manufacturing, Construction, IT, Finance, Care, Professional Services and the Creative Industries. 4

5 Good News Stories Para-olympian Gold Medal winner inspires local School In January Walbottle Campus in Newcastle upon Tyne invited the National Apprenticeships Service and Josef Craig (Para-Olympian Gold Medal winner) to talk to year 11 students. Although Josef is still studying in 6 th Form he often goes into schools to talk about the challenges he has had to overcome to achieve his goals and dreams. He brought his Gold Medal and Sports Personality of the Year award to show the students. Josef was an inspirational speaker taking the students through his life from early childhood and the different challenges he has overcome. Josef has set himself the goal of winning 3 Gold medals in Rio in 2016 and encouraged the young people present to let nothing stand in the way of their own personal goals. Manchester Career Aspirations Event More than 1,400 schoolchildren were offered the chance to have a go at interactive activities designed to help them choose their future career, at a skills event held in Manchester. The Career Aspirations event, supported by The Skills Show, the European Social Fund and the National Careers Service, held at Manchester Central Convention Centre, on Tuesday 21 January, was attended by 40 employers and training providers - many of whom offered bitesized practical activities to help young people learn more about the opportunities on offer for their future careers. Digital 3D design company EON Reality, based at the Sharp Project in Manchester, displayed a virtual Icube (pictured). Other exhibitors included the National Careers Service, Microsoft and the Royal Exchange Theatre. Have a go activities included a crime scene investigation with forensic science trainers CPDMS, knitting, sewing and block printing activities with Manchester firm CDM UK and coaching for potential basketball coaches, run by the Manchester Giants. The event, organised by Manchester City Council and Greater Manchester Learning Provider Network, was aimed at year 9 11 pupils attending Manchester schools. Deputy Leader, Councillor Sue Murphy, said: This event showcased vocational and professional skills and promoted Apprenticeships as a pathway into a range of exciting careers. It has helped to inspire the young people by giving them a genuine, practical insight into the many options that are open to them as they consider which route to take in the future. Apprenticeship shop open in Middleton Arndale Hundreds of apprenticeship vacancies for year olds are available in an apprenticeship pop-up shop in Middleton Arndale that was officially opened in January Visitors to the pop-up shop are able to browse and apply for hundreds of live apprenticeship vacancies and are given support and guidance from experienced training industry staff. Situated on the ground floor in the old O2 shop premises, the shop is the first of its kind in Greater Manchester and will provide job seekers and employers with all the advice they need in to apply for a job, or recruit an apprentice. The apprenticeship shop is funded by the Greater Manchester New Economy and is the brain-child of Work Based Learning Skills & Participation Officer Andy Turner. Rochdale Council member for Children, Schools and Families, Councillor Donna Martin says: The idea of the shop is simple; if you are aged you can come in and apply for a host of live apprenticeship vacancies in a wide range of industries If you are an employer and want to enquire about recruiting apprentices then we will be there to help. Andy Turner adds: Specialist information, advice and guidance from qualified careers professionals will be available 3pm -5pm on Mondays and Tuesdays and specialist training provider staff will be available all of the time. The shop will be open until the end of March. York Promote Higher Apprenticeships City of York Council will be hosting a professional Apprenticeship marketplace for local employers and young people in years 12 and 13 in February. This first time event is aimed at matching talented young people, who would like to get their first step on the career ladder, with recruiting employers who are seeking to grow their businesses. The informal marketplace environment will highlight career opportunities with local businesses offering Advanced and Higher Apprenticeships that will commence after the June exam period of The Apprenticeships will include opportunities in law, accountancy, insurance, IT and digital, engineering and more. The event is primarily aimed at students who are completing Advanced Level qualifications with invites being sent out to 6 th forms and Colleges across York and the surrounding area. Apprenticeship Graduation Pilots NAS are working in partnership with the Association of Colleges (AoC) and Association of Employment and Learning Providers on the Apprenticeship graduation ceremonies project. Organisations will be invited to tender for the opportunity to organise the graduation ceremonies. The invitation to tender opens on Monday, 24 February, further information about the project and the invitation to tender is available on the AoC website. 5

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