Government launches apprenticeship awareness scheme aimed at primary schools

The Prime Minister’s apprenticeship advisor, Nadhim Zahawi MP, has launched an apprenticeship awareness scheme aimed at primary school children.

The scheme was launched by Mr Zahawi at the Mayflower Primary School in London and will see various apprentices visit primary schools and speak directly to the pupils of the benefits of undertaking an apprenticeship. The launch saw 30 apprentices from different sectors from companies and organisations such as British Gas, the NHS, and KMPG, chat with pupils from the Mayflower Primary School about their jobs and attempting to inspire the children to think about their potential careers.

Run in partnership with the charity Primary Futures, the scheme seeks to provide greater information on apprenticeships within schools and help young children gain understanding of the links between their lessons and their future careers. It was also look address the issue of gender specific stereotyping.

This new apprenticeship awareness campaign comes on the back of the Department of Education’s announcement of new legislation requiring schools to work closely with colleges, university technical colleges and other training providers to ensure that young people are aware of all the routes to higher skills and the workplace, including Higher and Degree Apprenticeships.

The Prime Minister’s apprenticeship adviser, Nadhim Zahawi MP, says: “It’s so important for primary school children to meet with apprentices and I was delighted to have the opportunity to be involved with this. Many of us develop our idea of a dream job while we’re at primary school, and apprenticeships are a great way of achieving these dreams.

“As the government seeks to hit the target of 3 million apprenticeship starts by 2020, school pupils should be aware of future options they have from a young age, so they’re familiar with the system and what the possibilities are as they shape their future.”

Russell Hobby, General Secretary of school leaders’ union NAHT said: “It’s clear that there’s a real benefit in talking to children at an early age about the jobs they might do when they’re grown up; about how important their primary school learning really is in terms of future opportunities. Providing the right kind of inspiration can broaden horizons, which is where Primary Futures is proving to be so successful.

“Children are introduced to people from all sorts of jobs and can see the different paths to success, whether that’s degree, apprenticeship or any other route. Detailed guidance may come later but careers inspiration shouldn’t wait until children get to secondary school.

“Involving apprentices in Primary Futures is a great extra angle to explore. Apprentices may well be closer in age to the children they’re speaking to, and as a result they may be more approachable and easier to identify with. Equally, it’s important to demonstrate that apprenticeships are a credible route for future employment.”

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