Ideas for Employers
Apprenticeship employers could showcase the skills and talents of their apprentices and highlight their commitment to Apprenticeships by organising “Get with Apprenticeships” themed events and activities, which could include:
- Arranging for your Managing Director to go “back to the floor” and shadow one of your apprentices for the day.
- Organising a “job swap” where a senior manager spends a morning shadowing an apprentice and they swap in the afternoon, so the apprentice gets the opportunity to find what his/her future could hold as they progress with the company.
- Hosting an event with your supply chain or other organisations in your networks to encourage those that don’t currently have apprentices to consider introducing them.
- Arranging an open day at your premises for visitors, where potential apprentices and their parents get the opportunity to talk to current and former apprentices and take a guided tour around the workplace.
- Holding an awards ceremony for your apprentices to celebrate their achievements. (Don’t forget to nominate your winners for a National Apprenticeship Award too!).
- Setting up an “Apprenticeship Hall of Fame” in your reception area to showcase and chart the success of employees who started out as apprentices.
- Visiting and presenting at a local school with some of your apprentices, to educate pupils on the benefits of Apprenticeships and the potential opportunities available.
- Taking your apprentices out into the community to show off their skills and make a positive difference. For example, horticultural apprentices could volunteer to make over a local hospice garden or hair and beauty apprentices could carry out pamper sessions at a local care home - the possibilities are endless!
- Inviting a journalist from your local newspaper to come and job shadow one of your apprentices for a few hours.
- Making a media announcement about your intention to increase your apprentice numbers.
- Supplying the NAS with a positive quote to explain why you are “With Apprenticeships”. This will be added to our website. (Please include your job title, business size, type and location with your quote).
- Supplying the NAS with positive quotes from your apprentices to explain why they are “With Apprenticeships.” These will be added to our website.
- Writing a case study about the value apprentices bring to your business and sending it to the media and NAS.
- Adding the National Apprenticeship Week supporter logo and a link to the apprenticeships.org.uk website to your e-mail signature, website and other communications.
- Entering your talented apprentices into WorldSkills UK national competitions where they could be in with the chance of being named as the ‘best in the UK’ in their skill area. Exceptional competitors from this year’s cycle of WorldSkills UK national competitions could be invited to compete for a place in the team that represents the UK at the international skills competition WorldSkills. The next WorldSkills competition takes place in Leipzig, Germany, in 2013.
Last Updated: 02/12/2011