At EAL, we welcome the return of National Apprenticeship Week. This year's theme is #SkillsForLife.
During this week, as a committed Awarding Organisation with a 30-year heritage, we will reflect on the value apprenticeships deliver within the UK, whilst also celebrating our achievements and involvement in the apprenticeship process.
This week is an opportunity to celebrate apprenticeships, but particularly the #SkillsForLife developed through studying and undertaking an apprenticeship course. For too long apprenticeships have lacked the recognition they deserve as a vital route into rewarding careers, making a major contribution to the economic and social fabric of society.
Apprenticeships offer young people an opportunity to develop well-rounded skills in their chosen field, and invaluable work experience.
Engineering Apprenticeships
The engineering sector has suffered a skills shortage and apprenticeships are a crucial pathway into the industry and help fill these skills gaps. taking an apprenticeship in engineering allows learners to gain specialist and transferable skills. Below we look into what type of engineering you could specialise in and what transferable skills might look like:
Specialist sectors:
- Aerospace engineering
- Agricultural engineering
- Automotive engineering
- Building services engineering
- Chemical engineering
- Civil engineering
- Biomedical engineering
- Electrical engineering
- Mechanical engineering
- Rail engineering
- Structural engineering
Transferable Skills:
- Working collaboratively.
- Effective communication, with people of all levels of seniority.
- Managing workloads to hit deadlines.
- Giving and receiving feedback.
- Learning procedures, processes, and behaviours typical of the professional workplace.
- Utilising commonly used software.
At EAL, we are enormously proud of the heritage that underpins apprenticeships, especially those within advanced manufacturing and engineering. Some of industry’s most successful business leaders have followed this route – Andy Palmer, former CEO of Aston Martin, and Lord Bamford, Chairman of JCB to name just two.
EAL's Role in the Development of New Apprenticeship Standards
EAL has been at the heart of new apprenticeship standards development - supporting employer development groups for key industry occupations since 2013 when the reforms began. We support employers to develop new apprenticeship standards at every stage, including assessment plan development. We are also an approved End-Point Assessment Organisation.
With our long-standing tradition of being closer to industry and designing qualifications that reflect this close partnership, EAL is perfectly positioned to guide the employer development groups’ work. Our expertise, knowledge and support ensure the new standards meet the needs of all employers, from SMEs to multinationals, and provide learners with the best possible start to their careers.
Attracting and teaching talent
Another area of focus for EAL is ensuring we attract and retain the right training and assessing talent into the sector. These are integral roles which require occupational experience and understanding, and the ability to engage and communicate it. We are committed to building the capability of trainers and assessors through educational and technical upskilling and reskilling – all a key part of the eco-system.
We are extremely mindful of the need to protect apprenticeships by ensuring the right people are attracted into training provision; as with those deciding which route to take to pursue a career, we are also working to make it clear how it is possible to pivot within a career.
We are determined to ensure our product strategy and portfolio equips our customers and learners with the right skills to achieve success. We operate in dynamic, competitive and highly technical industries; ensuring the qualifications we create and deliver skills that meet the requirements of the industrial digital revolution and relentless focus on sustainability is a leading strategic priority.
Lots will be happening throughout this week to celebrate those pursuing this route into careers and those enabling them to reach their potential including employers, assessors, mentors and tutors.
