National Apprenticeship Week 2026

[edit] About National Apprenticeship Week

National Apprenticeship Week occurs in February each year, it 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, it runs from 9 to 15 February in 2026, today it is also supported by the UK Government. 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] Government vows to “unlock opportunities for young people across the country”

On 8 February the UK Government announced it would “unlock opportunities for young people across the country” ahead of National Apprenticeship Week. Part of this to set a pilot a university clearance-style system where ‘near miss’ applicants who don’t secure their top choice apprenticeship will be re-directed to similar opportunities in their area. To be delivered in partnership with employers and Mayoral Strategic Authorities the pilot will test how young people can best be re-directed to other suitable employers and apprenticeships if unsuccessful with initial applications.

An online platform will be launched to bring together information on apprenticeships in one place for young people, many of whom are keen to explore the apprenticeship route but don’t know where to start. The platform will include new data showing actual earnings and how apprentices have progressed after completing their training, helping young people compare options and understand which apprenticeships lead to lasting careers. This also aims to help small and medium-sized businesses gain access to a stronger pipeline of motivated young talent, helping to close skills gaps.

Backed by the Growth and Skills Levy, the government aims for these measures to help deliver 50,000 more apprenticeships for young people, a key step toward the Government’s ambition for two thirds of young people to reach higher-level learning or take up a high-quality apprenticeship. 353,500 apprenticeship starts occurred in the first year of the Labour government, 13,920 more than the year before (2023/24).

The above was supported by the announcement made on 7 February 2026 "Britain’s growth sectors to get major skills boost from new ‘fast track’ apprenticeships reforms". These will dramatically speed up how new courses are created, to keep pace with industries powering the UK’s growth, from clean energy and advanced manufacturing to digital tech and modern construction. Key elements of the initiatives include; a faster approval process to update apprenticeships and develop short courses to address urgent skills needs in major projects, tackling bureaucracy to cut apprenticeship approval times from 18 months to as little as three months.

[edit] National Apprenticeship Week (NAW) 9th to 15th February 2026

In the lead up to to the week-long celebration that brings together businesses and apprentices across the country to shine a light on the positive impact that apprenticeships and skills make to individuals, businesses and the wider economy Prime Minister Keir Starmer said:

"Apprenticeships give young people real experience, real prospects, and a real route into good careers. But for too long young people have been held back from the opportunities they need to get on in life because of outdated assumptions about how to make it into a successful career. We’re unlocking opportunities for young people across the country by making it easier and faster to get the skills that matter, so more young people can build a secure life for themselves."

[edit] Skills for Life

During NAW 2026, we encourage everyone to celebrate how apprenticeships and skills help us all reach our full potential. They break down barriers to opportunity and drive economic growth by developing the skills employers need.

We want employers to showcase how apprenticeships and skills are making an impact on your business; highlighting the benefits you see that demonstrate how apprentices are helping you fill critical skills gaps and sharing stories of success enabled by apprenticeships and skills.

We want your apprentices and T Level students to shout about their successes, tell their inspirational stories, champion the skills they have developed, the opportunities they have taken and how skills training has kick-started incredible careers.

To find out more visit https://naw.appawards.co.uk/ with toolkits for organisations here https://naw.appawards.co.uk/toolkit and all events and their locations mapped here https://naw.appawards.co.uk/events/map

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https://www.gov.uk/government/news/britains-growth-sectors-to-get-major-skills-boost-from-new-fast-track-apprenticeships-reforms

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/government-vows-to-unlock-opportunities-for-young-people-across-the-country-ahead-of-national-apprenticeship-week