First Intuition advises how to prepare for National Apprenticeship Week 2024

National Apprenticeship Week (NAW) will be held from 5th to 11th February 2024 and will be a major focal point in this year’s calendar for anyone involved in recruiting and training apprentices. In the last couple of years NAW has got bigger and louder, and with UCAS recently launching their new Apprenticeship Service it is only likely to have even more traction in 2024.

As employers increasingly find it difficult to get in front of young adults entering the workplace, it is important for them to plan for how they can best engage with potential candidates during NAW, or alternatively, how best to use the week to raise awareness about the value of apprenticeships to help others. Below are some of the key activities businesses can be doing to maximise impact during NAW.

Preparation tips for NAW 2024

1. Utilise the NAW Toolkit:

Only 37% of employer surveyed by TheTalentPeople / GetMyFirstJob use the useful NAW toolkit available at naw.appawards.co.uk. You can use the page to:

• Explore the toolkit for advice, inspiration and resources
• Sign up for the newsletter
• Add your events into the event calendar
• Post your vacancies on the Find An Apprenticeship site on gov.uk
• Find real apprenticeship success stories that can inspire ways to celebrate and share your own

2. Start Forming Connections

Start forming connections with the careers leads at local schools and colleges where you want to engage with young adults. You can do this by:

• Talking to other organisations that you work with who offer apprenticeships so that you can take a collaborative approach to talking to schools and colleges; make it easy for the careers lead to engage with several employers in one go
• Collaborate with intermediary organisations like Form the Future for existing local career links

3. Define Objectives:

Clarify your goals for NAW 2024 and ask yourself what you want to achieve? Is it to:

• Raise external awareness of your apprenticeship opportunities?
• Raise internal awareness amongst existing staff who might consider upskilling with an apprenticeship programme, or managers who would mentor them?
• Celebrate achievements of existing apprentices?
• Help attract and recruit new staff?
• Improve your brand recognition locally?

4. Identify Target Audiences:

Think about the audience you want to target, beyond young adults who might be potential apprentices, consider targeting:

• Current staff who want to increase their skills
• Other internal staff who would be key stakeholders in apprenticeship programmes such as line managers
• Career changers looking to move into your sector
• Careers leads and teachers at the local schools and colleges you recruit from
• Parents who are an crucial influencer in the decisions of their children and who may not understand how modern apprenticeships differ from those of 20 years ago

You can find more information on how to prepare for NAW 2024 here.

First Intuition has been training accountancy students for over thirteen years with first-class attention to student care and customer service, offering classroom courses, distance learning options, accounting apprenticeship programmes, and bespoke leadership and management courses. First Intuition also offer employers and students a wider programme of free events and resources to help maintain knowledge, keep up with industry news, and provide the opportunity for extra learning.