On Wednesday 13th July, an important event was held in the Unipart site, Oxford. The event, entitled ‘Educating the Educators’, held by ‘Business in the Community’ charity trust, invited schools and academies to come and hear what an apprenticeship scheme could do for them, and how they could meet the necessary laws and regulations to be required in the near future. There were several talks given, by us (Oxfordshire apprenticeships), Oxford City Council, Clarkson Evans electrical, and Activate enterprise, to name a few. They all centred on Oxfordshire’s growth, and how apprenticeship schemes will help shape that growth.

The most interesting thing about the talk, though, is how keen many schools were to take on their own apprentices, and how enthusiastic people were about them. Although there were a lot of questions asked about the new laws, who they would affect and how to make the most of the situation, many people thought that apprenticeships were a very good idea.We were given examples of an apprenticeship opportunity like none other.  At Unipart, they offer their own apprenticeship scheme. Using the ‘Unipart way’, apprentices learn and develop their skills in not only their trade, but their managerial and team based social skills too; this prepares them for the world of work and allows them to progress rapidly within their job.

Over these forthcoming years, apprenticeships are being pushed into the limelight, and in order for the government’s 3 million apprentices target to be achieved by 2020, events like this will become crucial in changing the eyes of employers and encouraging them to take on more apprentices. Educating the educators will be a big step forward in achieving this goal.

To see more, go to our Facebook and Twitter pages or to find out about Unipart or Business in the Community, see the links on the right!

Millie Chick, Year 10 at Faringdon Community College.