Workwhile

We’re thrilled to let you know that the Apprenticeship Diversity & Inclusion (D&I) Benchmarking Report, brought to you by Amazing Apprenticeships and Inclusion 365, is now live and available for you to read! The report provides valuable insights into the employment practices of apprenticeship employers across England, highlighting best practices and key areas for improvement, and offering a detailed look at diversity and inclusion efforts within the sector. Discover key findings across 4 topics, including Management and Strategy, Candidate Attraction and Hiring, Retention and Achievement, and Continuous Improvement. View the report now: https://lnkd.in/eDB9ivM6 Join us on Wednesday 5th February at 12pm when we'll be holding a LinkedIn Live to discuss the report with co-authors Anna Morrison CBE, Amazing Apprenticeships and Victoria Dale DEI, Inclusion 365. Anna and Victoria will be talking about the key findings from the report and adding their own insight, as well as giving helpful recommendations for what organisations can take forward into 2025. Sign up to join us ahead of the launch: https://lnkd.in/edHm7tzc #EarlyCareers #Apprenticeships #Apprentices #DiversityandInclusion #DEI

Last week we welcomed apprentices of the East Bank Shared Apprenticeship Programme to UCL's East Campus on Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park to hear more about career journeys in education and the arts with a talk from special guest Sam Wilkinson Dir. of Public Art at UCL, and reflect on their own networking skills and styles. Thank you UCL for hosting at your new site and for Evolve Apprentices Ltd., Clever Cloggs Day Nursery & Smarty Pants Day Nursery for taking part in the day. If you are a business based in Newham, Tower Hamlets, Hackney or Waltham Forest you can also benefit from the East Bank collective levy sharing fund and these tailored wrap-around sessions to support apprentices and line managers. Get in touch if you'd like to find out more 🚀 #eastlondon #creative #cultural #educational #smesupport #apprenticeships #careers

Today I am delighted to launch The Big Apprenticeship Thank You. This initiative in partnership with some amazing employers has been developed for National Apprenticeship Week 2025 to say thank you to ALL apprentices up and down the country (regardless of training provider) for their hard work and commitment to self development. If you would like more information about how to get involved and how you can share this with your own apprentices, drop me a message. #NAWBIGTHANKYOU #NAW2025 #apprenticeships #thankyou

🚨 OUT TODAY: UK skills crisis to worsen as small businesses unable to take on apprentices Our latest report shows how to fix the apprenticeship pipeline to ensure small businesses can address acute skills shortages. The main challenge for small trades firms is that they often lack necessary relationships. The majority of businesses surveyed said that they have little to no interaction with local colleges (52%), schools (69%), independent providers (60%), or universities (90%). This makes it hard, often impossible, to navigate the complex process of recruiting and training apprentices. Other disincentives to taking on apprentices included: - The cost and administrative burden - For green skill trades, shortage of relevant courses - Perception of young apprentices Skills England - the new body positioned to lead the UK’s skills landscape - will have decisive role to play, as an intermediary system and provision of relevant courses will have to be overseen by it. We also note that our proposed system would “complement, not complicate” employment reforms that will revamp Jobcentres. Read the full report, sponsored by Reed in Partnership, with support from TrustMark: https://lnkd.in/ete8Kw7N

"Between now and the implementation of the proposed Employment Rights measures in August 2026, youth voice and the ever-growing evidence base on what works in youth employment has a vital role to play". Recently, with Workwhile, we launched a definition of Good Work for young people, created by young people. Today, our CEO Barry Fletcher reflects on that definition in the context of proposed labour market reforms. Given the nuances of what Good Work means for young people, and the huge potential for employers and the UK economy if we can increase youth employment levels, youth voice is vital in facilitating positive outcomes of labour market reforms. Read more from Barry: https://lnkd.in/esFf3CqQ