Almost a year on from the introduction of the apprenticeship levy, FE Week is proud to bring you its annual National Apprenticeship Week supplement, featuring just a few of the apprentices, employers and training providers who make it all happen.

The skills and apprenticeships minister Anne Milton, keen to celebrate the wonderful things happening during NAW 2018, has written a message of welcometo our readers (page 3). Before heading off on her whirlwind apprenticeships tour of Britain (page 10), the minister also tried her hand at reporting, interviewing FE Week’s very own new apprentice on her first visit to Parliament (page 13).

FE Week kicked off NAW 2018 in inimitable style, with a parliamentary reception hosted by education committee chair Robert Halfon to celebrate the regional winners of our inaugural Annual Apprenticeship Awards (page 14). Organised in partnership with the Association of Employment and Learning Providers, the awards were set up to recognise excellence in apprenticeship provision, and the national winners will be announced at the Annual Apprenticeship Conference later this month.

Keen to represent all aspects of apprenticeship, we’ve asked training providers across the country how the levy is working for them, one year on, and what changes they want to see (page 4).

We also spoke to employer-providers both new and established to find out how they’re developing their in-house training teams, which apprenticeships they’re outsourcing, and how the levy has changed their approach (page 6).

Last but not least, we heard from the apprentices themselves, chatting to this year’s National Apprenticeship Award winners about what made them apply for apprenticeships, and what their chosen route means for them.

We trust you had a wonderful NAW 2018 – and hope to see you at this year’s Annual Apprenticeship Conference!

Cath Murray, Features editor