New report on diversity in apprenticeship degrees by Apprenticeships for America

Thrilled to see this new report from Apprenticeships for America on the growing diversity in apprenticeship degrees. As someone who has spent more than a decade designing and scaling Registered Apprenticeships, I know firsthand how powerful these pathways can be—not only for employers and workforce intermediaries, but also for individuals who benefit from career-connected learning. This kind of work—where jobs lead to degrees—shows the innovation and commitment needed to meet today’s workforce challenges while expanding access to opportunity. Congratulations to John Colborn, Jooyoung Voeller, Ed.D., Chris Zirkle, and all the educational institutions leading the way. Exciting to see apprenticeship continue to evolve and gain momentum nationwide. #Apprenticeships #WorkforceDevelopment #LearningAndDevelopment #FutureOfWork #CareerPathways

Welcoming a renewed focus on apprenticeships in the UK Labour has announced a shift in education policy which places greater emphasis on apprenticeships: committing that two-thirds of young people will go to university or take up an apprenticeship. This recognition of apprenticeships as a pathway equal in value to university is encouraging. Apprenticeships build real-world skills, open doors to great careers, and give employers access to the talent they need. We welcome this renewed focus on apprenticeships as a vital part of shaping the workforce of the future.

"I can't speak highly enough of how transformative apprenticeships are to a business". That's the powerful endorsement from the impressive Stephen Wilde from the award-winning SBR (Southbourne Rubber) on why greater numbers of SMEs need to connect with apprenticeships. His successful business consists of 36 members of staff; and 16 of those are current or former apprentices! Any SME about to connect with apprenticeships should listen to the 2 minute clip from Stephen. It's great evidence of how highly-skilled apprentices are critical to boosting competitiveness and productivity in SMEs. This clip is from an AAN webinar where we also heard some fascinating insights from the superb fellow panel members - Dominique Unsworth MBE, Stéphanie Rabaud, and Hollie Whittles. We will post advice from all of the panel that captures the compelling reasons for SMEs to get involved in apprenticeships. The session was brilliantly hosted by Kathryn Marshall MBE and was the 15th webinar run by the AAN allowing Ambassadors to share their experiences and best practice to help others with their apprenticeship programmes. Listen to the clip below and let us know your thoughts!

Last week Edge Foundation launched a new national campaign today to increase apprenticeship opportunities in small businesses. The campaign, #ApprenticeshipsWork, is a bid to boost the number of apprenticeships in small and medium-sized enterprises. We’re calling for a simpler, fairer system that works for both SMEs and young people, ensuring apprenticeships with small businesses deliver skills for growth across the UK. We are incredibly pleased to be joined by an amazing collection of partners including Amazing Apprenticeships, Recruitment & Employment Confederation, WorkWhile, Federation of Small Businesses (FSB), Co-op, Specsavers, Association of Apprentices and Youth Futures Foundation. https://lnkd.in/e6_ASQtW

Edge is launching a new national campaign today to increase apprenticeship opportunities in small businesses. Our campaign, #ApprenticeshipsWork, is a bid to boost the number of apprenticeships in small and medium-sized enterprises. We’re calling for a simpler, fairer system that works for both SMEs and young people, ensuring apprenticeships with small businesses deliver skills for growth across the UK. We are incredibly pleased to be joined by an amazing collection of partners including Amazing Apprenticeships, Recruitment & Employment Confederation, WorkWhile, Federation of Small Businesses (FSB), Co-op, Specsavers, Association of Apprentices and Youth Futures Foundation https://lnkd.in/eivEcWkc

We’re proud to support the Edge Foundation’s #ApprenticeshipsWork campaign, which at its heart is about helping small businesses unlock the potential of apprenticeships. 🔓 At City & Guilds, we know how transformative that can be, not just for employers, but for young people and communities too. “Improving how SMEs engage with the apprenticeship system is vital—not only to help businesses grow, but to break down barriers for young people and close the regional opportunity gaps highlighted in our own Making Skills Work report. When we get this right, the impact is felt far and wide: in workplaces, in communities, and across the economy.”- Kirstie Donnelly, MBE Find out more below 👇 #CityandGuilds #Apprenticeship #Skills

There has been a lot of discussion this week around the government's announcement to pursue a new target for all young people to go on to university, further education, or a “gold standard apprenticeship” by the age of 25. At The Challenger Academy, we welcome this news and believe that you don’t need a university degree to thrive in the creative industries. Apprenticeships can provide an equally valuable pathway, one that opens doors for young people from all backgrounds to build skills, confidence, and careers in the creative economy. 🚀 Our goal is to champion creativity in schools and nurture the next generation of idea generators who will power the UK’s future economy. We look forward to seeing more apprenticeships in the creative sector recognised, valued, and supported as a vital route into meaningful and fulfilling careers. 🌟 https://lnkd.in/euqkpjPs

The Mid Wales Regional Skills Partnership is encouraging employers to contribute to the new Apprenticeship Programme Consultation launched by MEDR. This consultation will help shape the future of apprenticeship delivery in Wales and ensure it reflects the needs of employers. ⬇️

Minister Jack Chambers announces an allocation of almost €5 billion for the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science. €4.1 billion of current expenditure will allow for increased delivery of apprenticeships. #Budget2026

We’re proud to celebrate a major milestone! 🎉 City & Guilds has delivered 100,000 end-point assessments (EPAs) across multiple standards. This achievement highlights our commitment to high-quality apprenticeship delivery and the outstanding work of our teams, partners, and assessors. Apprenticeships provide individuals with the skills that employers value the most, and the impact is clear: 👉 23% of apprentices are promoted within 12 months of completing their programme. 👉 64% of large employers now offer apprenticeship programmes 👉 For every £1 the government invests in level 3 apprenticeships, £28 is generated in economic benefit. As we celebrate this milestone, we're also preparing for a significant shift in the education landscape as we await upcoming reforms to apprenticeships. Read the full story and discover what’s next for apprenticeships:  https://ow.ly/LaY450WYBzY We're committed to keeping you informed on policy changes every step of the way: sign up to our apprenticeship reform webinar here 🔗 https://ow.ly/bAFP50WYCIa #Apprenticeships #SkillsForLife #EPA #CityAndGuilds #WorkforceDevelopment #FutureSkills