BSRIA is celebrating National Apprenticeship Week 2018 (NAW 2018) – running from 5-9 March 2018 – which brings together employers and apprentices from across England to celebrate the success of apprenticeships
The theme of National Apprenticeship Week 2018 is Apprenticeships Work and demonstrates how apprenticeships work for individuals, employers, local communities and the wider economy.
BSRIA specifically offers engineering career routes and paths suitable for individual aspirations. This may involve having a 3-4 months’ placement in BSRIA business units, prior to making a decision on preferred specialisation route.
An apprenticeship has the ability to offer structured and more accessible opportunities for many. With courses funded by the government and the employer, apprentices earn while gaining valuable skills and profession.
BSRIA North – inspiring young people!
June Davis, BSRIA North Business Manager, has become an Enterprise Advisor, attending her first training session on 26 January to learn more about the role, the engagement strategy and to link up with other local advisers who have committed to the programme.
Working with the Lancashire LEP, Lancashire Skills Hub, National Careers Service and other local education networks, BSRIA North is engaging with the Enterprise Advisor Network. The network is designed to match strategic leaders to schools and colleges across Lancashire and to work with the school’s leadership team to develop their approach to careers and enterprise and ultimately increase the number of employer encounters that young people experience throughout the education journey.
Working with Preston Muslim Girls School – BSRIA attended their World of Work Day on 7 February. In addition – BSRIA also supported the network by attending a Career’s Day at Eden Boys School Preston where June spoke to pupils about career pathways into engineering.
On 23 February, June presented at the Central Lancashire Construction Skills Hub about the work BSRIA undertakes to locally based construction related employers.
BSRIA North will also be exhibiting at the Lancashire Apprenticeship Expo on Tuesday 13 March at Preston Guild Hall.
June said: “BSRIA is delighted to be supporting National Apprenticeship Week with these fantastic, relevant activities and initiatives. We support this initiative in a number of ways by hiring and training apprentices, engaging with young people, schools and wider community.
“With the housing industry set to receive £44bn in financial incentives to increase supply to 300,000 new homes a year by the mid-2020s, the biggest annual increase in housing supply since 1970, construction and engineering apprentices are crucial.
“Apprenticeships attract diverse talent and ensure industry is future proofed. They can deliver improved productivity, employee retention and bring new ideas and ways of working into the workplace.
“BSRIA is actively and proactively engaging with the community to promote this opportunity to young people. We engage with local schools offering work placements and one day workshops for schools. With construction nominated as one of Lancashire’s priority sectors it should provide good business networking opportunities too.”
On 26 February, BSRIA attended Claires Court School in Maidenhead, to take part in an “Amazing Apprenticeships” event organised for 6th form students.
BSRIA’s very own former-apprentice Stacey Ward spoke about his journey at BSRIA as an apprentice. Stacey joined BSRIA as a junior apprentice and is currently undertaking a Chartered Management Degree Apprenticeship with the Open University which is fully funded by BSRIA.
Stacey is now Instrument Sales Manager – BSRIA Instrument Solutions – heading up a team of nine.
Stacey offered an overview of current apprenticeship opportunities that has been given to students. This generated a great deal of interest, “Q&A” and went down very well with the students present.
Stacey said:
“Apprenticeships are especially essential for up-and-coming engineers to get into the workplace: we hope this week can highlight the importance of such crucial careers and trades. I am a recent real example of how apprentices can start, thrive and flourish fast in an organistion! There is clearly a spectrum of opportunities for apprentices and when all the necessary stars align – it is a great path to follow.”
The spirit of NAW 2018 fits in well with BSRIA’s INSPIRE project which is working with local schools, national and local politicians and the media to promote STEM and change its perceptions.
BSRIA is celebrating the 2018 Year of Engineering and will be running a series of events and careers days with local schools and colleges. This national campaign is designed to increase awareness and understanding of what engineers do among young people aged seven to 16, their parents and teachers.
