Are you on board with National Apprenticeship Week 2020? If not, it’s time to jump on the bandwagon as companies across England celebrate diversity and the value of fresh ideas. Here’s your complete guide to the apprenticeship event of the year.
It’s finally here. The event we’ve all been waiting for.
National Apprenticeship Week 2020(opens new window) is back and ready to shake things up.
With over 800,000 young Brits currently not in employment, education or training, NAW exists to smash that stat out of the water by connecting employers with apprentices, parents and teachers—and, of course, by bringing the awesomeness of apprenticeships into the spotlight.
Cool, right?
And with this year’s theme ‘Look Beyond(opens new window)’ focusing on the value of diversity and fresh ideas, there’s going to be a lot to talk about.
From workplace tours to #AskAnEmployer Q&A’s, engaged curiosity will be the driving force at National Apprenticeship Week events—which makes it the perfect time to let the world know about your strengths as an employer brand.To help you figure out where to start, we’ve pulled together this awesome FAQ to show you exactly why National Apprenticeship Week 2020 is the can’t-miss event for forward-looking businesses.
What is National Apprenticeship Week?
National Apprenticeship Week is “an annual week-long celebration of apprenticeships across England”.
Or, as we like to put it, the annual apprenticeship love-fest. 💓
This year, NAW is celebrating its 13th birthday as it continues to unite apprenticeship advocates and pay tribute to the massive impact apprenticeships have on today’s most forward-thinking companies. This year’s theme ‘Look Beyond’ focuses on eliminating outdated stereotypes—because, after all, apprenticeships are no longer about making the perfect cup of tea.
The aim is to showcase the amazing, positive apprenticeship stories to encourage other young people, parents and companies to take the leap.
Employers across the country hold National Apprenticeship Week events, rallying their existing apprentices to get involved in spreading the word. It’s also the perfect time to meet the next generation of apprenticeship talent and build awareness for your brand in the apprenticeship community.
MPs, ambassadors, apprentices, training providers and top employers all take part, and the event continues to grow year after year.
As you can probably tell, we’re a big fan. Here’s why you should be too.
We had an amazing time hanging out with our rockstar apprentices during NAW2019! Want to keep up with us in 2020? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!
National Apprenticeship Week 2020: Why should my company get involved?
For starters, there are some pretty compelling statistics about the value apprenticeships can bring to employers.
- 96% of employers with apprentices say they have experienced at least one benefit from taking on apprentices (most can count at least eight benefits!)
- 69% of employers with apprentices saw improved staff retention
- 78% report improved productivity
If you’ve got HR problems (and let’s be honest, who doesn’t?) active, engaged apprentices can help you solve them.
Plus, National Apprenticeship Week is simply a big deal.
Last year over 1,250 events took place with household-name companies like TUI, Bentley Careers, Siemens UK, AXA Insurance and Cisco. The NAW Twitter hashtag trended all week (ahead of the Oscars!), highlighting all the companies involved and the awesome work they do.
Who wouldn’t want to be a part of that? 🤔
Here are some of the other amazing benefits you’ll get when you take part in National Apprenticeship Week 2020:
You will build tonnes of new relationships
Relationships are the secret to any successful company.
And building relationships is exactly what National Apprenticeship Week is all about.
Whether it’s getting to know potential rockstar apprentices, or parents getting to know—and trust—your company, NAW is where it’s at when it comes to meeting and greeting.
National Apprenticeship Week is an awesome chance to build awareness for your company
At National Apprenticeship Week you’ll get tonnes of opportunities to get future high-performers pumped up about what you do—plus the NAW marketing team will be working hard to get your message heard from even further afield.
It’s an employer branding opportunity you don’t want to miss.
This is your chance to be an active member of the apprenticeship community
NAW is your chance to show you know your stuff when it comes to HR innovation.
That means peeling back the curtain to share your talent strategies and offering space for your current apprentices to share their own success stories with the wider community.
Would-be apprentices need someone to take a chance on them
We all know that for many, finding work is hard.
The traditional school-uni-work route is out of date, and the expectations of millennials and Gen Zers has irrevocably changed the job market.
In other words: there are a whole lot of obstacles out there for people looking for work. People who could be the perfect fit for your company.
Robert Cowper-Coles, an Apprentice at Newable, was one of those superstar apprentices who’d struggled to get into work but took his new employer by storm.
“I needed someone to put faith in me because all of these companies had looked at my CV, heard my story and they weren't interested in it for whatever reason… [When I started my apprenticeship] everything turned from a negative to a positive… If you think back to where I was a year ago, it's like black and white. I'm working as hard as I can because I enjoy my job and that's the best feeling,” says Robert.
This is an awesome opportunity to show the world that diversity is key
When it comes to productivity, diversity is the name of the game.
That’s why it’s up to companies to take the initiative and get involved in on-the-job training opportunities—not only to offer new inroads for the unemployed, but also to access untapped diverse candidate pools.
NAW2020 is your chance to show how your apprenticeships have done exactly that—and by doing so, attract more unnoticed rockstars to your company.
Meera Patel, Talent and Diversity Specialist at Bulb is a forward-thinking advocate for diversity. She has first-hand experience of the positive impact apprenticeships can bring.
“I feel strongly that the onus is not on the person to change things. As a business, it’s on us to fix these problems. We have an opportunity [with apprenticeships] to change the hiring and working experience for people who work here. And the more we can do to create a diverse and inclusive workforce, the more people are able to flourish and have an impact,” Meera explains.
How can I get involved in National Apprenticeship Week 2020?
The good news is it's super easy to participate in NAW2020.
Share our videos: We're celebrating apprentices by telling the stories of five young people through a series of videos across social. We want as many change makers across the country to see these stories so we can raise the profile of apprenticeships and democratise access to the best careers.
- Share the videos on your stories from @WhtieHatGB’s(opens new window) insta posts
- RT the videos on Twitter via @WhiteHatGB(opens new window)
- Share and embed the videos on LinkedIn, via newsletters and anywhere else via WhiteHat’s YouTube channel(opens new window)
- Be sure to include #NAW2020 #LookBeyond and tag WhiteHat.
The first video will be going live on Monday morning with the rest of the videos dropping throughout the week. So keep an eye on our channels.
Host an event: Events are the perfect opportunity to showcase your inspiring apprentices and how they make your org shine. You can do this in one of two ways:
- In-person events: Between 3rd–9th Feb you can invite would-be apprentices, parents and/or teachers to an event in your workplace. Remember to jump on the marketing bandwagon by adding it to the NAW events map(opens new window).
- Virtual events: Don’t have the time/space/capacity to host a physical event? Boot up your PC for an online session instead. For example, you could get one of your current apprentices to run a Facebook Live session or Twitter Q&A to show your know-how and put potential apprentices at ease.
There’s always something going on at NAW2020. Employers can choose from any of the many events taking place all over the country.
Get talking on social media: There’s going to be plenty of buzz about apprenticeships during NAW. Don’t miss out. Jump on your social media accounts to get involved and share your two cents.
- Get your badge on: Check out the National Apprenticeship Week Toolkit(opens new window) to download some cool social media assets, including the awesome NAW “Fired Up” badge. ⚡ ⚡ ⚡
- Tell your story: Companies are encouraged to share their apprentices career progression stories, pictures of apprentices at work, and their best advice for hiring and supporting apprentices.
Make time for a Twitter Q&A: National Apprenticeship Week are running two mega Q&A sessions on Twitter:
- #AskAnApprentice: From 12pm-2pm on Wednesday 5th Feb, apprentices are asked to jump on Twitter to join the conversation—that could mean answering questions or sharing their own experience.
- #AskAnEmployer: Employers are asked to join in the second Twitter sesh at 12pm-2pm on Thursday 6th Feb to offer advice for getting into an apprenticeship, what to look for in an apprentice, how you support your apprentices and how current apprentices are getting on in their companies.
It’s easy to join the conversation and get your brand in front of thousands of eager apprenticeship candidates. Just use #AskAnEmployer to get the convo started.
NAW2020: A one-way ticket to apprenticeship heaven
National Apprenticeship Week can do wonders for your company, from brand awareness to connecting with potential apprenticeships.
But above all NAW2020 gives you a chance to spread the word about the changing face of apprenticeships—and show how game-changing the right apprenticeship scheme can be.
In today’s rapidly changing world of work, many young people are struggling to get their feet on the ground—but with a little help from National Apprenticeship Week and companies like yours, it is possible to make a tangible difference to their lives.
Euan Blair