The power of apprenticeships to change lives and economies

Kirstie Donnelly MBE, Chief Executive, City & Guilds reflects on the positive value of apprenticeships to learners and the economy. She focuses on how apprenticeships can address skills gaps, and change lives and offers insight on challenges in increasing apprenticeship uptake as well as changing public perception of the value of an apprenticeship and ensuring that the apprenticeships work for employers.National Apprenticeship Week 2024 OverviewAs we approach the start of National Apprenticeship Week 2024, I am struck by just how many lives are changed, following the chance to take on an apprenticeship. By March this year, City & Guilds will enable 70,000 apprenticeship completions – that’s an impressive milestone as we go into this year’s National Apprenticeship Week.Real Stories of TransformationBehind these numbers, there are of course real lives and real opportunities unfolding. Take Melissa who studied for an apprenticeship in Digital Technology Solutions now working for a major corporation in their CSR department. Or Jarishan, a former Microsoft Apprentice, is currently a data consultant, he is passionate about apprenticeships and an ambassador for training and skills that can be accessed through vocational and technical routes. Or Tanaka who has been passionate about apprenticeships since his sixth-form education when he knew that an apprenticeship was the best option for him. He has since undertaken apprenticeships for 7 years consecutively & is currently a project manager at Balfour Beatty.These young people are embracing opportunity, learning and earning thanks to apprenticeships! And we at City & Guilds gain so much from them. Melissa, Jarishan and Tanaka are three members of our Young Learner Advisory Team who help us to make sure we are doing things right. Both as a leader in apprenticeship certification and our apprenticeship delivery, as well as a broker to industry taking apprentices on!Challenges and Trends in ApprenticeshipsThere is a caveat to this progress, however, which is that the current national trend, published by ONS, shows a decline in the number of young, Level 2 apprentices, and a simultaneous, corresponding increase in apprenticeships being completed by older age groups in the workforce. Both are important talent pools we need to harness if we are to meet our ambitions for a growing economy and address the skills gap. To tackle this, we must continue to push for more industry-relevant approaches to apprenticeships and enable more flex in the system for greater success.Industry-Relevant Approaches and Success StoriesMillie Norman, a City & Guilds nuclear engineering apprentice, who trained with Gen2 at Sellafield in Cumbria is an example of how apprenticeships are meeting industry needs. Millie completed her A Levels before leaving school and chose to apply for an apprenticeship, instead of going to university, to get real-world experience in her chosen field of work. She says,“I knew throughout school that I was a visual learner and would benefit more from being in an environment where I could watch different jobs taking place in real life, rather than learning it from a textbook.”When asked, what, for her, is the best thing about being an apprentice, Millie says:“It’s the wide, diverse range of people you meet within the industry. Being introduced to different job roles and different people gave me a real understanding of what working life in the nuclear industry is really like – all working together to reach a common goal. Being surrounded by many people from different engineering backgrounds gave me a wider support system to complete my apprenticeship. This is because I would always be certain that any query I had about my apprenticeship or the industry would be answered, as I had access to many different contacts who were always willing to help.”Mission of City & GuildsEnsuring that apprentices like Millie Norman, have the skills and confidence they need to progress...