National Apprenticeship Week 2018 in D2N2 LEP area

Dozens of events will be held in the D2N2 Local Enterprise Partnership area next week (March 5 - 9) to mark National Apprenticeship Week 2018.

NAW 2018, co-ordinated by National Apprenticeship Service, will be the eleventh annual celebration of apprenticeships and will be based around the theme of ‘Apprenticeships Work’. It will show how apprenticeships improve the lives of apprentices and of businesses, communities and the wider economy; as a way of encouraging even more people to choose apprenticeships as a pathway to a career.

A range of events nationally and across the D2N2 LEP area (Derby, Derbyshire, Nottingham and Nottinghamshire) will feature employers and apprentices showcasing how they work together; and exhibitions and information sessions from skills and training providers, and other organisations, responsible for promoting apprenticeship numbers.

The current Government's target is to have created three million apprenticeship starts by 2020. To accomplish this, in April 2017 it officially launched the Apprenticeship Levy; a requirement that all UK employers with an annual wages bill of over £3million pay 0.5% of that sum towards a central fund, to be invested in quality apprenticeships training.

D2N2 – the private sector led partnership promoting economic and jobs growth across its area – is putting significant investment into skills and training, including helping employers take on more apprentices; as part of its mission to promote sustainable careers and help employers fill ‘skills gaps’ in their workforces which affect productivity.

In 2017 D2N2 ran two free ‘Are you Levywise?’ events; helping businesses navigate new Apprenticeship Levy rules. An easy to follow FAQ (frequently asked questions) Levy guide is available at the D2N2 web link www.d2n2lep.org/skills/the-apprenticeship-levy

This year, for NAW 2018, apprenticeship events across the week in the D2N2 LEP area include:

• On Monday (March 5) an ‘IT Apprenticeship Event’ will be held at Derby College’s risual room, at its Joseph Wright Centre, Derby city centre.
• On Tuesday (March 6) Nottingham-based Inspire Learning will be running an ‘Apprenticeships with Inspire Learning’ networking event for employers to find out more about apprenticeships at Mansfield Central Library.
• Also on Tuesday an information session for would-be apprentices will be held by Futures for Business at its careers centre at 57 Maid Marian Way, Nottingham city centre.
• On Friday (March 9) apprentices from the UK Asbestos Training Association, based at the Markham Vale Environment Centre, Markham Lane Enterprise Park, near Chesterfield – who have been working on a project to support their NVQ qualifications study – will be at an event and sharing their stories via social media for the apprenticeship scheme #worksforme

Details of these events and many more happening in the D2N2 LEP area can be found on the national NAW 2018 website at https://nawevents.co.uk/

NAW 2018 will this year again be running its ‘Big Assembly’. Billed as one of the week’s highlights, Big Assembly is a live online video stream to thousands of people in schools, companies and elsewhere across the UK; featuring information on and about apprenticeship successes.

Last year’s event, watched by 10,000 young people, was sponsored by the D2N2 LEP, the National Apprenticeship Service, and the Leicester and Leicestershire Local Enterprise Partnership.

This year’s Big Assembly online event will run from 10.30am, Thursday (March 8). Schools, young people, parents, careers advisors and employers wishing to take part can register for free via website www.bigassembly.org

Sue Husband, Director at the National Apprenticeships Service, said: “The success of National Apprenticeship Week hangs on the fantastic support we receive during each National Apprenticeship Week we’ve run.

“We want 2018 to eclipse previous triumphs and we would encourage apprentices, employers and our partners to join forces and help celebrate the brilliance of apprenticeships.”

The D2N2 LEP has commissioned programmes to support businesses with their apprenticeship requirements. Contact the D2N2 Growth Hub on 0333 0069178 or see the Skills section of its website by clicking HERE, if you are looking to recruit a new apprentice and to support apprenticeship career progression.

If you're an employer and want more information on how the D2N2 Local Enterprise Partnership is investing in skills and training go to the D2N2 Growth Hub website www.d2n2growthhub.co.uk/. If you are a school and want more information go towww.d2n2schools.co.uk/