National Apprenticeship Week #NA@2023 is an annual, 7-day celebration of the importance of apprenticeships and the positive impact they have on the economy, businesses, and individuals. It acknowledges the key role apprenticeships play – not only in equipping apprentices with the skills they need for career progression but also in assisting companies in recruiting and developing talented individuals.
This is as true for leadership and management apprenticeships as it is for anything else. Employers in the management sector are able to observe their apprentices in real-time and offer immediate feedback, facilitating the development of their employees in a manner that benefits them. Meanwhile, the apprentice is equipped with a skill set that will carry them forward and stand the test of time.
Training providers such as Instep play a vital role in supporting National Apprenticeship week and have been instrumental in promulgating the theme for the 2023 NAW: ‘Skills For Life’. This theme highlights how apprenticeships are crucial to both apprentice and employer, furnishing skills that will last a lifetime upon the former and providing skilled and experienced employees to the latter.
What Role does National Apprenticeship Week Play in This?
National Apprenticeship Week plays a vital part in promoting the importance of apprenticeships in general – and for leadership and management development in particular. It allows the celebration of successful apprenticeship journeys, highlights the positive aspects of taking an apprenticeship, and underlines the validity of such a path as opposed to a more traditional university degree.
According to Instep tutors, leadership and management apprenticeships can help to motivate and encourage apprentices by teaching them to believe in themselves. This boost to self-esteem is further supplemented by equipping the apprentice with the skills and life knowledge to pursue their goals independently.
National Apprenticeship Week also provides the learner with a platform to discuss their own experiences and how those experiences have shaped both their personal and professional lives. Instep has facilitated this by featuring such apprentices on their social media platforms, further boosting their profiles and their voices.
National Apprenticeship Week boosts the number of apprentices in the management sector. The improved visibility of apprenticeships leads to a commensurate surge in interest, which ultimately leads to more people opting to choose an apprenticeship as their career path.
That’s why National Apprenticeship Week is so important. Without it, a good many people may miss their calling – and a good many businesses will lose an opportunity to upscale their existing staff.
The Role that NAW plays in assisting both apprentices and their employers cannot be overstated, and companies like Instep are all too aware of this. By celebrating NAW and adhering to its theme and stated principles, the leadership and management sector is enriched immeasurably. It can only be hoped that NAW 2024 will be as successful as 2023’s.
