National Apprenticeship Week 2015 Launches Today

National Apprenticeship Week kicks off today. We’ll be bringing you a series of informative, interesting and hopefully inspiring features and news stories to mark the occasion. But first: what is it all about?

National Apprenticeship Week (NAW) is designed to celebrate apprenticeships and the positive impact they have on individuals, businesses and the wider economy.

This year NAW, co-ordinated by the National Apprenticeship Service, is all about:

- Getting more small businesses to take on apprentices

- Promoting the range and breadth of apprenticeships on offer, including at Higher level and in blue chip companies

- Celebrating apprenticeships and the level of success that learners can achieve

Here are some surprising facts about apprenticeships:

- 1,000 businesses are now involved in designing the new apprenticeship standards

- There are 1,500 different apprenticeships on offer in more than 170 industries

- The government invested £1.5bn in apprenticeships in 2013 to 2014

- Businesses see an increase in productivity by £214 a week when they hire apprentices

If you were impressed by any of those points then keep checking out our News section all week: we’ll be bringing you the essential edit for NAW 2015.

News

• Young UK workers say they lack key skills compared to their European counterparts
• Theresa May expands Department for Education to include apprenticeships
• Survey Suggests More Action Needed for University Alternatives Awareness
• New GCSE grading system coming into use
• Apprentices helped Lewis Hamilton win his fifth Formula One championship
• Parents are adding to students’ exam results stress
• Government Announces ‘Tech Levels’
• EY Welcomes School Students across UK onto Their Smart Futures Programme
• National Apprenticeship Week: Lloyds doubles its apprenticeship target to 8,000
• Universities say they’ll take more disadvantaged Students