APPRENTICESHIPS

The Stationers’ Company believes that apprenticeships provide an important route into employment.  Once considered an alternative to gaining a degree, apprenticeships are today available at a wide variety of levels to suit school leavers, people returning to work and those that need to develop their professional skills.  They are available across a huge range of employment opportunities and even those with degrees can access an apprenticeship at a level appropriate for their next move. Most organisations offer them to recruit new talent into their business and to develop their existing employees. 

For the Communications and Content Industries which need to ensure a supply of well-qualified people to take the sector forward, apprenticeships are invaluable and that is why the Company in 2018 held its first Apprenticeship event at Ravensbourne University.  Apprentice 18 was a fantastic success and was followed by Apprentice 19 which was held at the Guildhall in the City of London and saw an increased number of potential employers exhibiting. Over the course of the two days, more than 2500 students from across the South East attended. 

Sadly Apprentice 20 had to be cancelled because of the COVID-19 crisis but the Company has launched a website, Apprentice Futures which provides a source of information for all and which links students, careers advisors, employers and providers.  We also ran a two-day series of employer virtual events during London Careers Festival 2021 which although wasn’t as interactive as a physical event did enable over 800 students to attend from various schools around the country. Click the image below to go to Apprentice Futures.

The Stationers’ Company is determined not to be London-centric and has, therefore, for the last two years, taken part in the very successful Leeds Apprentice Recruitment Fair which in 2020 saw over 6,000 people attend and apprenticeship opportunities were shared by the 100+ businesses exhibiting.

The Company supports two major apprenticeship schemes;

the Queen’s Royal Bindery Apprenticeship Scheme and the               Evening Standard Media Diversity Scheme.

Closer to home the Company seeks to make information about apprenticeships available to those who mentor students at Stationers’ Crown Woods Academy and was pleased recently to present, in conjunction with Pearson Plc, one of its Corporate Members,  a webinar on Apprenticeships and the new T-level qualifications.  You can play the recording of that Webinar by clicking on the image below. A fact sheet on T-Levels can be accessed here.