News: Annual Apprenticeship Conference 2022
On 21 and 22 March, our Employer Services team visited the International Convention Centre (ICC) in Birmingham for the Annual Apprenticeship Conference. The joint project by FE and AELP, in association with NOCN, was created to provide visitors with business-critical updates, advice and keynotes on the delivery of apprenticeships.
Across the two days, our team was able to mix with hundreds of professionals and other leading providers to share our apprenticeship expertise as the leading apprenticeship recruitment and training provider in the East Midlands. Events like this are so valuable to the college as it allows us to gain a greater understanding of the current apprenticeship climate. From this, we can tailor our apprenticeship opportunities to address skills shortages in the community and to refine our delivery approach to meet government priorities.
The conference showcased a range of prominent speakers from Ifate, The Skills Network, Ofsted, DFE and more. The talks on the day provided valuable insight into areas such as apprenticeship funding, achievement rates and changes to current SME systems. A particular highlight of the event was the opening speech, in which skills minister, Alex Burhart, informed listeners that the government intends to revaluate the apprenticeship application process for young people to make it easier to navigate. Through this, the government hopes to see more young people choose apprenticeships as a post-school progression route.
Alongside this, the team also attended a gala dinner and awards ceremony. Our automotive centre, EMTEC College, was proud to be shortlisted as a finalist in the ‘Engineering & Manufacturing Apprenticeship provider of the year’ category. Over 370 nominations were made across the awards categories, so we were happy to be highlighted as one of the best in our field.
Commenting on the event, Lindsey Smith, Head of Operations, said:
The conference is a great opportunity to get the latest updates on policy and advancements in the sector. Being face to face for the first time in two years enables us all to meet like-minded colleagues from not only other colleges and private training providers, but also the employers and policymakers who are so integral to making apprenticeships work. Ultimately it has been a very important two days shaping strategy with a group of people who are passionate about apprenticeships and improving the UK employment and skills landscape.
Lindsey Smith — Head of Operations, Employer Services
If you’re an employer and would like to learn more about our apprenticeship opportunities and how to apply, follow the links below.
Published on:
- 25th March 2022 (11:55 AM)
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