Universities and colleges celebrating National Apprenticeship Week

It’s National Apprenticeship Week and colleges and universities are sharing the good work that apprentices do.

The event runs between January 10-16 and highlights that apprenticeships are great options for young people to get into a career as well as for employees keen to progress and employers to fill skills gaps.

As part of the week, The University of Central Lancashire has been working with four different companies on apprenticeships.

Transforming lives and advancing Social Work at Blackpool Council

The university has recently collaborated with Blackpool Council to help them develop the skills of their social work professionals. At present they have eight employees enrolled on the university’s Degree Apprenticeship in Social Work, and 17 have completed the course.

Developed in partnership with several employers, including Blackpool Council, UClan’s Social Work Degree Apprenticeships enable students to benefit from the industry knowledge and research expertise of the university’s academic staff as they put theory into practice.

Mick Currey, professional lead in adult social care at Blackpool Council said: “When you get a new member of staff coming into the team who’s an apprentice, they don’t need as much support as a newly qualified social worker who’s come straight from university. Once degree apprentices qualify, they’ve already got it.”

Truck giant reaps the rewards of degree apprenticeships

Leyland Trucks value staff development and offer opportunities for training and educational development to all their staff through different schemes. Degree Apprenticeships seen as part of a wider training offer within the business.

At present they have six Degree Apprentices enrolled with the University of Central Lancashire (UCLan). Four are on the Mechanical Engineering degree and a further two on the Electronic Engineering degree course.

Also, two more UCLan apprentices will soon be starting as new recruits. And four existing employees will move from Level 4 apprenticeships at Preston College to UCLan Degree Apprenticeships.

Maria Rogers, Leyland Trucks, pictured, said: “We’ve used UCLan before, on a commercial basis, when employees are doing part-time courses alongside their work and the service we’ve received has always been exceptional."

whY-us? highlight how Degree Apprenticeships can help grow your business

WhY-us? Marketing based in Oswaldtwistle supports businesses of all sizes across a wide range of sectors.

Managing director Richard Singleton can see the value degree apprenticeships can bring to the fast-paced climate of business and marketing. Richard has seen employee Kelsey Pilkington blossom in her role of marketing executive through the knowledge gained on the Digital Marketing Degree Apprenticeship with the University of Central Lancashire.

Richard said: "Kelsey has made a huge difference to the dynamic and attitude. It is fantastic to have another person, with a completely different way of thinking, to challenge the ‘traditional’ way of doing things."

Preston architects empower local talent

Cassidy and Ashton, a Preston-based multi-disciplinary practice, embody a commitment to fostering local talent and advancing their expertise across various architectural disciplines.

The firm's ability to handle large-scale projects while maintaining personalised client relationships is a principle deeply ingrained in their ethos.

This approach not only sustains a loyal customer base but also provides invaluable learning experiences for their apprentices, such as their University of Central Lancashire (UCLan) based degree apprentice Finlay Woods.

Alistair Baines, architect and chairman saw the benefits the course could bring to the workplace said: “Any business needs the structure of a hierarchy of juniors, intermediates, and senior people. Finlay fits perfectly into that structure. He's become very useful to us and in a world where recruitment is extremely difficult, we’re able to ‘grow our own’. With the additional training we’re giving him, the learning curve has been exponential. 

Finlay Woods, degree apprentice at Cassidy and Ashton, said: "I’ve benefitted professionally and personally since I've started the course. The tutors have supported me and having a mentor at work has also helped me to progress and gain confidence."

UClan has two events planned at their Preston Campus to celebrate National Apprenticeship Week this coming February.

 Police Apprenticeship Event  https://www.uclan.ac.uk/events/listing/police-apprenticeship-event

 National Apprenticeship Week 2025 Celebration - Business Breakfast Showcase. https://www.eventbrite.com/e/national-apprenticeship-week-2025-celebration-business-breakfast-showcase-tickets-1119628291359

Meanwhile, Preston College has shared some case studies of their apprenticeship stories.

Lani Overing is at Lancashire Police

"I have always wanted to have a career in the motor industry, I love how practical and rewarding it is and how there is always more to learn. I find an apprenticeship is the best way to learn the trade and get more involved and experienced.

"The constabulary has so many great opportunities with multiple courses, a wide range of vehicles and vans as well as plenty of experienced people in the workshop to pick things up off."

Ben Allen (Construction) – Persimmon

"After completing two years of full-time college, I reached out to the apprenticeship team there to express my interest. They informed me about an opening at Persimmon Homes, which I eagerly took. This apprenticeship has been both beneficial and enjoyable.

"I love working with power tools, and finding a job where I get to use them every day is fantastic. I've begun handling my own fixes at work, which means I can now operate independently in a professional and safe manner whenever needed."

Erin at Aesthetic Dental Solutions

"I am really enjoying my dental nurse apprenticeship here at Aesthetic Dental Solutions. The whole team have made me feel very welcome and relaxed as I continue to learn and grow  in my role as a dental nurse. 

"Nothing ever feels too much trouble when asking for advice or help with either my practical or theory work. Everyone takes the time ensure I fully understand the task at hand.

"The apprenticeship is  a perfect way of getting on the job experience which then also helps massively with the theory work that is expected of me to complete my course efficiently.

"I look forward to completing my apprenticeship at Aesthetic Dental solutions and seeing what the future holds for my career at also here at Aesthetic Dental Solutions Lytham."

 Meanwhile, Blackpool and the Fylde College have shared some of their apprenticeship stories.

Lancashire construction firm, Bambers Building Contractors, has been providing both residents and businesses across the North West with a range of tailored building solutions for more than 20 years.

The family-run business offers services across all the construction trades from damp proofing and central heating installation to electrical work and full-service building projects.

 As the business has grown, the company has looked to develop a robust apprenticeship programme to provide a steady pipeline of skilled employees able to meet the increasing demands for its services.

Bambers’ partnership with Blackpool and The Fylde College has helped to cement the programme with the College being instrumental in identifying suitable candidates from its current learners to put forward for apprenticeship vacancies.

“We’ve worked with Blackpool and The Fylde College more or less since we started and now all our apprenticeships are run in partnership with them”, says Joanne Bamber. “Whenever we need to grow our team, I simply get in touch with the College and they provide us with the CVs of potential candidates whom we then invite for interview and recruit accordingly.”

Joanne is also keen to point out how well this arrangement works for the organisation, not just in terms of initially recruiting apprentices, but also in terms of long-term employee retention: “Over 80 per cent of our team have been with us for 10 years or more. Many of them started as apprentices and have stayed with us since then.”

 The company doesn’t limit their training to new employees. As part of ongoing employee development, existing workers are actively encouraged to acquire new skills. That has been the case for Liam, a qualified plumber, who started as an apprentice and who is now adding tiling to his portfolio of trades.

 This proactive approach to training and development is clearly paying dividends for Bambers by providing the organisation with a stable and highly skilled workforce which proves you don’t have to be a large levy-paying employer to benefit from an apprenticeship programme – provided you embrace it with the same enthusiasm and commitment Bambers has done.

Higher and Degree Apprenticeships: Navigating the Digital Future at Vodafone

 For Vodafone UK, Higher and Degree Apprenticeships are a primary route for recruiting the next generation of highly skilled employees capable of managing the future of their digital developments.

 Recognising that many talented young people have started to question the benefits of following a traditional degree programme, Vodafone has seized the opportunity to offer apprenticeships which not only offer invaluable work experience but lead to real-world qualifications. 

 Florentina Pascura, apprenticeships and pre employment lead at Vodafone said: “The apprenticeship is delivered via a hybrid model, both virtually and in person, which works well for us and our apprentices”.

 Apprentices on the degree apprenticeship are able to choose from four different pathways – software engineering, network engineering, cybersecurity and data analysis - depending on where they want to take their career. A large proportion of them remain at Vodafone once they have completed their apprenticeship underlining the fantastic job opportunities at the company which initially attracted them there.

Leome Francis, one of Vodafone’s Network Engineering degree apprentices, is ideally placed to compare the experience of an apprenticeship to that of a traditional degree, having previous studied at university.

He said: “Apart from being able to earn as you learn, one of the main advantages is being able to put into practice what you’ve learnt on the course in real time and being able to share that experience with people on a similar path.”

He goes on to describe the experience as ‘unrivalled’, saying that he wouldn’t hesitate in recommending a degree apprenticeship at Vodafone to anyone who was considering it.

 Feedback on the college as a training provider has been similarly positive with apprentices saying how well they feel supported in their learning and how lecturers are always prepared to go the extra mile to help.