National Apprenticeship Week 2025
Contents |
[edit] About National Apprenticeship Week
National Apprenticeship Week celebrates and showcases the positive impact of apprenticeships on individuals, employers, various industries, sectors and the economy. Apprentices, employers, training providers, parents, schools, colleges, universities, End Point Assessment Organisations (EPAOs), the Department for Education, ambassadors and related skills programmes all contribute to the success of apprenticeships and skills across the country. This is a week of coming together to promote the benefits of apprenticeships and encourage more people to consider apprenticeship opportunities as a pathway to acquiring new skills and building rewarding careers.
National Apprenticeship Week was first launched in 2008 by the National Apprenticeship Service in the UK, typically taking place in February each year, and running from February 10th to February 16th in 2025. As an annual event it has grown, celebrating the achievements of apprentices and highlighting the vital role apprenticeships play in addressing skills shortages and boosting economic growth. It is a valuable opportunity to recognise the importance of apprenticeships in shaping the workforce of the future and raising awareness encouraging more people to explore apprenticeship programs.
[edit] ‘Skills For Life’ theme
Theme for National Apprenticeship Week 2025 was announced by the Department for Education as ‘Skills For Life’. For more information, visit the NAW website and download the NAW toolkit and T Level Toolkit – which are available to support the apprenticeship and skills community with planning their activity for National Apprenticeship Week 2025.
To find out more about events during National Apprenticeship Week 2025 follow this link
To find out more about apprenticeships, visit: www.apprenticeships.gov.uk.
[edit] National Apprenticeship Week at ECA
Apprenticeships have been and remain the dominant and preferred entry route for individuals joining the electrical industry. Consistently, the electrical apprenticeship enjoys one of the highest take-ups of any apprenticeship: 25% of all ‘construction and built environment apprentices’ in England are electrical apprentices, for example.
Other features that set electrical contractors apart include the fact that apprentice numbers have grown in recent years, not shrunk. There is also the essential role played by SME employers in the sector: 80% of electrical apprentices are employed by businesses too small to pay the Growth and Skills levy.
During National Apprenticeship Week in both England and Wales, ECA will be shining a light on different facets of apprenticeships in our industry.
Celebrating the achievements of some of the former apprentices featured on the Electrical Careers website. These achievements include not only successful progression in their own careers post qualification, but also an admirable willingness to share experiences and insights with the next generation of apprentices and potential apprentices.
With Jeremy Parkin, ECA Member and Chair of our all-Wales Skills Forum, discusses the work we are doing to influence the Welsh Government and other key bodies to help improve apprenticeship provision in Wales. And to mark the 50th anniversary of the ECA Edmundson Apprentice Awards, ECA President, Stuart Smith, and Edmundson Managing Director, Mark Felber, will look ahead to some of the special features of this year’s Awards.
On each day of the week ECA’s Catherine Watt will highlight one of the resources available on the ECA website and th MyECA app to support Members in their role as apprentice employers.
Employing apprentices is not without its challenges, and certain recent events – not least last autumn’s Budget – have arguably accentuated these challenges even more than before.
As always, however, National Apprenticeship Week offers a chance to consider the ongoing benefits of apprenticeships, both for individual businesses and the industry in general. ECA will also continue to play our part: offering relevant advice and support to Members; influencing policy-makers at both national and regional levels; and, celebrating the hard-earned successes of apprentices and their employers.
The first sections of this article are based on 'National ApprenticeshipWeek 2025' the last section appears on the ECA news and blogsite as 'National Apprenticeship Week at ECA', dated 10 February 2025.
[edit] Related articles on Designing Buildings
- Apprenticeship Levy transfer service.
- Apprenticeships levy.
- BSRIA calls on industry to get involved with National Apprenticeship Week 2019.
- Building back better with apprenticeships.
- Careers in the electrotechnical industry.
- CIOB accepted onto register of end-point assessment organisations.
- Construction apprenticeships.
- Construction Industry Training Board CITB.
- ECA 2024 Apprentice of the Year Award.
- ECA 2023 Apprentice of the Year Award.
- ECA 2022 Apprentice of the Year Award.
- Government funded apprenticeship incentives.
- Industry work placement.
- Is social media the new way to plug the gender skills gap?
- National vocational qualification.
- Online mentoring can help professionals succeed.
- Protection for apprenticeships.
- Skills.
- Skills for Climate consultation launched.
- Tackling the construction skills shortage.
Featured articles and news
Shading for housing, a design guide
A look back at embedding a new culture of shading.
The Architectural Technology Awards
The AT Awards 2025 are open for entries!
ECA Blueprint for Electrification
The 'mosaic of interconnected challenges' and how to deliver the UK’s Transition to Clean Power.
Grenfell Tower Principal Contractor Award notice
Tower repair and maintenance contractor announced as demolition contractor.
Passivhaus social homes benefit from heat pump service
Sixteen new homes designed and built to achieve Passivhaus constructed in Dumfries & Galloway.
CABE Publishes Results of 2025 Building Control Survey
Concern over lack of understanding of how roles have changed since the introduction of the BSA 2022.
British Architectural Sculpture 1851-1951
A rich heritage of decorative and figurative sculpture. Book review.
A programme to tackle the lack of diversity.
Independent Building Control review panel
Five members of the newly established, Grenfell Tower Inquiry recommended, panel appointed.
Welsh Recharging Electrical Skills Charter progresses
ECA progressing on the ‘asks’ of the Recharging Electrical Skills Charter at the Senedd in Wales.
A brief history from 1890s to 2020s.
CIOB and CORBON combine forces
To elevate professional standards in Nigeria’s construction industry.
Amendment to the GB Energy Bill welcomed by ECA
Move prevents nationally-owned energy company from investing in solar panels produced by modern slavery.
Gregor Harvie argues that AI is state-sanctioned theft of IP.
Experimental AI housing target help for councils
Experimental AI could help councils meet housing targets by digitising records.
BSRIA Occupant Wellbeing survey BOW
Occupant satisfaction and wellbeing tool inc. physical environment, indoor facilities, functionality and accessibility.