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10 April 2026

Tag: apprenticeships

My apprenticeship is a lifesaver – but school never told me about it

An apprenticeship has allowed me to learn in a way neither school nor a BTEC prepared me for, writes Aaliyah Cadogan I became a sports coach for children through an apprenticeship, and I feel so lucky I took that route. It wasn’t a route my school told me about when I was a student, but […]

Paperwork threatens to take over the job I love

If all the documentation doesn’t benefit the apprentice, why is it necessary? asks Tim McHanwell I’m going to start with the most important point: I really, really enjoy my job. I enjoy working with the apprentices, supporting them and helping them to progress. The most enjoyable part of the experience is spending time with apprentices […]

Let’s embed education for sustainable development (ESD) in teaching and training

To have a hope of meeting the government’s green goals, education for sustainable development needs to be embedded in apprenticeships and staff training, writes Charlotte Bonner Last week saw the publication of the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education (IfATE)’s sustainability framework. This document helps employer trailblazer groups, who are responsible for developing apprenticeship standards, […]

Ofsted finds learners unaware they are on an apprenticeship programme

An experienced commercial training provider has been heavily criticised by Ofsted after it found a “high proportion” of learners not knowing they are on an apprenticeship programme. Manatec Limited, which had 550 apprentices at the time of inspection and is based in Grimsby, received two ‘insufficient’ ratings in its first monitoring visit since it started […]

A culture of inclusion can drive more women into STEM apprenticeships

UK business needs to create a virtuous circle of positive change, says Ben Farmer, with successful women becoming inspirational role models for the next generation of builders, innovators and inventors The UK’s ongoing STEM skills shortage is a key issue for employers such as Amazon. Vacancies for highly skilled technical roles will double over the […]

Ofsted watch: Two providers straight in with ‘good’ in uneventful week for FE

One specialist college and a private provider received a grade two rating in their first ever Ofsted inspections, in what was otherwise an average week in the FE sector. The only critical report came in for an NHS trust, after inspectors found it was making ‘insufficient progress’ in an early monitoring visit of its apprenticeship […]

IfA launches recruitment drive for more route panel members

The Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education is looking for around 25 new experts to join its 15 sector-based route panels. The members are responsible for deciding the readiness of apprenticeship standards in development in the different sectors, reviewing and approving new standards and technical qualifications. The panels, created two years ago, decide what issues […]

National Apprenticeship Awards 2019 open for applications

Entries to this year’s National Apprenticeship Awards are now open, where employers and individuals who champion apprenticeships will be honoured for the 16th year running. Apprentices and businesses from all sectors and industries, from agriculture to arts and science and maths, are invited to enter the awards by the May 25 deadline. The awards will […]