The apprentices' journey Monday, February 6, 2012 - 11:40

To coincide with the start of Apprenticeship Week (6 - 10 February), NIACE has published The apprentices' journey - a report analysing the experiences of the 81 learners who were nominated for last year's Adult Apprentice of the Year Award, which was sponsored by Pearson for Adult Learners' Week.

Carol Taylor, Director of Development and Research at NIACE, said:

"This report focuses on how the nominees learnt about apprenticeships, how they got onto them and how they were supported once they began their training. This starts a process that NIACE wants to encourage throughout workplaces across the country - we need to engage apprentices and to listen to their thoughts and experiences. This is vital for the success of the apprenticeship programme which is receiving not only welcome investment from Government, but also much-needed enthusiasm. What apprentices have to say about their experience is vital if we want to ensure more, different and better apprenticeships. This report should be read by employers, providers and policy makers, so that they can hear what young people and adults are saying, and they can act on it."

"One of the key messages that came from the apprentices themselves was that for those people who had been out of work, the apprenticeship was seen as a fresh start and as a challenge to prove that they aren't failures. Older apprentices, who came from a rich variety of backgrounds, said, almost as one voice, that they wanted to change their lives. Many made it clear that the ‘work, learn and earn' model of apprenticeships was particularly attractive. And the common feature of all the accounts was their immense pride in their achievements, the change to their lives, the way in which the improvements in their skills had led to increased confidence and self-esteem and how this has had a big impact on their families."