NEAAN is always looking to engage with people who, like us, are passionate about apprenticeships.
Employers, trainers, managers, director, apprentices, former apprentices… if you have a passion for apprenticeships, you could be an Apprenticeships Ambassador or Apprentice Ambassador.
Case Studies
Hollie Hannah, Private Banking Manager, Handelsbanken
My route into banking is hardly the traditional one, having started out working in retail and waiting tables while studying Aviation Operations at college hoping to fly in to the world of airports and planes. However, those skills, along with the ones earned during my...
Adam Henderson, Customer Service Apprentice, Mitie
Customer service apprentice, Adam, has achieved a great deal in a short while – in this blog, he outlines his employment journey so far and gives a few top tips for would-be and newby apprentices... I’d faced several barriers in education until I found my...
Apprenticeship reforms in recent years have encouraged many new and exciting businesses and sectors to be more actively involved in apprenticeships. We want our NEAAN to reflect this dynamic.
Ambassadors are selected because:
- they commit to apprenticeships and traineeships in their workforce
- they have high profile in their sector or geographical area
- they represent a diverse range of employment sectors
Ambassador is a voluntary role, that supports and influences a wide range of key stakeholders including schools, colleges, employers and their own supply chains, trade associations and employment bodies.
They champion and support marketing, publicity and events to raise the profile of apprenticeships and they provide mentoring and support for employers looking to recruit apprentices for the first time.
Meet our region’s top former apprentices
As named by the North East England Chamber of Commerce.
Amy Lyons, Applications Engineer – Test & Measurement Division
Seaward Group
“My apprenticeship helped me to skip forward to the ‘good part’ where I could get my hands dirty in a work environment while still learning the skills required to do the job.”
The role of an Apprenticeships Ambassador
What is an Apprenticeships Ambassador?
The Apprenticeships Ambassadors are all employers who have recruited apprentices as part of their workforce. They are passionate about their experiences with apprentices and are keen to promote the apprenticeship route to other employers and potential new apprentices.
What does an Apprenticeships Ambassador do?
Proactively champions apprenticeships in their own networks including customers, supply chains, and trade & sector bodies
Acts as a role model to promote and encourage the breadth and diversity within apprenticeships
Shares experiences, knowledge and skills and
talks positively and honestly about the impact an apprentice has made within your organisation – this may be through case studies, meetings and events and via social media
Endorses apprenticeships at job fairs, skills shows and events and influences other employers about the benefits of apprenticeships
Ambassadors volunteer to undertake their role for approximately 1 day every 3 months.
What support will an Apprenticeships Ambassador receive?
- Be part of a network of trusted and influential Apprenticeships Ambassadors locally as part of the wider region – expanding your own networking and peer to peer support opportunities
- Invited to an annual regional conference to share good practice, network across the regional ambassador group and hear topical speakers including Ministers.
- Promotion via our social media channels to support key messages and campaigns, e.g. National Apprenticeship Week; and showcasing your role, as both a significant employer and Apprenticeships Ambassador.
The Association of Apprentices… is all about you!
Offering support and confidence to unlock your full potential and progress in your apprenticeship and beyond.
The Association of Apprentices is a place to come together with the talented community of apprentices – past and present – to access:
- A network of like-minded people and community forums.
- News, information, advice and guidance
- Additional learning to accelerate professional development Online tools and resources to support career progression Support so that your voice is heard in the workplace and beyond Access to a discount card – coming soon
- Events (virtual with local events coming soon!)
We’re for apprentices and our work is also led by apprentices.
Let’s Get Apprentices Talking
It’s always good to talk and a new online community has been created for North East apprentices to share their stories, successes, concerns and ideas.
“Let’s Get Apprentices Talking” is an exciting new project designed by apprentices for apprentices. The aim is to get apprentices – of all ages, experience, from all sectors – up and down the UK talking about their journeys.
The community is currently organised via WhatsApp with a monthly Teams “gathering” that can be accessed by any Apprentice Ambassador at the moment, but organisers plan to expand it as popularity grows.
Developers of the initiative, Apprentice Ambassadors Chair Jess Duff and new Ambassador Adam Henderson, are hoping that by improving lines of communication between apprentices, to help them gain better understanding of the opportunities available, share how mutual challenges can be overcome and generally just share their thoughts and ambitions.
Jess said: “The North East Apprenticeship Ambassador Network is fantastic at championing apprenticeships, but not everyone is comfortable sharing their own stories publicly or at meetings. Let’s Get Apprentices Talking is a way of creating an online community, where people can feel a little more at ease talking about what they do, their ambitions and ask questions of others who might have gone through similar experiences.”
Adam said: “Let’s Get Apprentices Talking can be a social group, a professional group and even a support group. We want to create an environment where apprentices can talk about achievements, learning, experience and if someone is stuck with something, people on the call may be able to offer the answer or guidance.”
Let’s Get Apprentices Talking is open to everyone! The more people join, the more stories can be shared.
For more information or to join the group, contact: [email protected] or [email protected]
Become an
Apprenticeship
Ambassador
Employers, trainers, managers, director, apprentices, former apprentices... if you have a passion for apprenticeships, you could be an Apprentice Ambassador.
Apprenticeship reforms in recent years have encouraged many new and exciting businesses and sectors to be more actively involved in apprenticeships. We want our NEAAN to reflect this dynamic.
If you are interested in joining as an Employer Ambassador please email [email protected]
For more information visit:
gov.uk/government/groups/apprenticeship-ambassador-network
If you are interested in joining as an Apprentice Ambassador please email [email protected]. If you have any questions about the role but have not yet decided if you would like to sign up, please email: [email protected] and we can answer any questions you may have.
For more information visit:
Meet our region’s top former apprentices
As named by the North East England Chamber of Commerce.
Stan Higgins, Consultant and former Chief Executive
NEPIC
“The more apprenticeships we can create the better.”
Investors in People:
We Invest in Apprentices
In 2018 Investors in People was tasked by the Department for Education to develop a framework for employers to ensure they are consistently delivering high quality apprenticeships.
During National Apprenticeship Week 2021, it officially launched “We Invest in Apprentices”, which will recognise the employers offering amazing apprenticeships will, ensure people of all ages and backgrounds have the chance to get ahead and businesses are able to access the skills they need to thrive.
For more information about We Invest in Apprentices head to: investorsinpeople.com/accreditations/we-invest-in-apprentices/