Highlights from National Apprenticeship Week 2025

From 10 to 16 February, National Apprenticeship Week 2025 (NAW2025) was celebrated across the country and contributed to the discussion on the impact of degree apprenticeships.  We engaged in both in-person and virtual activities, including sharing inspiring stories, hosting national events, and facilitating insightful discussions.  

The stories we shared

Throughout the week, we shared inspiring stories featuring our degree apprentices and employer partners demonstrating the power of apprenticeships in shaping careers and businesses. We shed a light on the following apprenticeship journeys:  

• Oli Bowden, a Creative Digital Design Degree Apprentice at Spacehouse Ltd, who turned down a traditional university offer to pursue an apprenticeship, even pitching the idea to his employer. 
• Reuben Wilson, a Digital and Technology Degree Apprentice at Resulting IT, who transitioned from T-Level studies, demonstrating the progression routes from T-Levels to higher education, showcasing the different paths college leavers can take to access a degree apprenticeship. 
• Fathiat Abdul-Quadri, a Digital User Experience Degree Apprentice with Interactive Investor, who shared a video showcasing her daily routine as an apprentice, balancing work and study. 
• Joanne Byrne, a Social Work Degree Apprentice at Manchester City Council, a mature student who shared how the programme helped her rebuild her career and regain confidence. 
• A case study with our employer partner, Laura Hinton, Chief Operating Officer at Gentronix, highlighting how our Laboratory Scientist Degree Apprenticeship has played a key role in the company’s growth and diversification. 
• A video featuring our employer partner, Smart DCC, discussing how our Digital and Technology Solutions programmes help businesses drive innovation, bridge skills gaps, and develop top talent. 

Championing degree apprenticeships 

During the week, our Head of Apprenticeships Business Development, Jo Carney, and Strategic Apprenticeships Advisor, Liz Gorb MBE, attended the Parliamentary Apprenticeship Fair and were the headline presenters at the UCAS ‘Apprenticeships: Discover the Extraordinary’ event, where we were the only university invited to speak. 

The UCAS event provided a valuable opportunity to share the main findings of our Force for Impact report on how degree apprenticeships are providing fantastic opportunities for apprentices to access professional careers. Meanwhile, the Parliamentary Apprenticeship Fair served as a key platform to engage with MPs and highlight the vital role apprenticeships play in workforce development. Download the report.  

At the Parliamentary Apprenticeship Fair, we were joined by our employer partner, Kevin Garay, Apprenticeships Manager at Barts Health NHS Trust, and their Chartered Manager Degree Apprentice, Stephanie Brown, as well as our Digital User Experience Degree Apprentice at IBM, Isabella Rocha, who shared with the attendees their apprenticeship experiences and the impact our programmes have made on their lives and organisations. 

Meanwhile, at our Business School in Manchester, we hosted our Degree Apprenticeship Open Evening, welcoming over 600 prospective apprentices, parents, and carers. Attendees explored our programmes, application process, and met employers like AJ Bell, AstraZeneca, Bentley Motors, IBM, Siemens Energy, McDonald’s, and Ciptex. 

The event featured 14 different sessions of talks, providing valuable insights into our programmes available for school leavers, application guidance, and an introduction to degree apprenticeships.

Celebrating a decade of impact and excellence 

On Friday, we hosted an in-person event for employers to celebrate a decade of Manchester Met’s transformational impact through degree apprenticeships and explore the future of skills development. 

On the day, we were joined by keynote speakers Susanna Lawson, Co-founder of Circle of Trust and OneFile and Joanna Moonan, Deputy Director of IfATE (Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education). 

Susanna shared her inspiring journey of starting her business by identifying a gap in the market and highlighted the importance of inclusivity within apprenticeships, particularly for those from diverse backgrounds and career changers 

Joanna Moonan gave an update on the latest developments in degree apprenticeships, including the formation of Skills England and the new Growth and Skills Levy. She discussed the key trends and challenges the apprenticeship sector will face in the near future and responded to questions regarding the government’s proposed changes to Level 7 funding for degree apprenticeships. 

We also had a panel featuring employers and current and post apprentices. On the panel we were joined by 

• Kristian Bentham, Marketing Director at Aqueous Digital and their Digital Marketer Degree Apprentice, Hollie Marsh. 
• Kim Hardman, Director of Apprenticeships at AstraZeneca along with their current Laboratory Scientist (Bioscience) Degree Apprentice, Emily Butterworth, and their Laboratory Scientist (Bioscience) Degree Apprentice graduate, Holly Goff. 
• Kashif Taj, Senior Foundation Manager and Apprenticeships Lead at IBM and their Digital and Technology Solutions Professional Degree Apprentice, Tishk Suran. 

The employers on the panel discussed how apprenticeships provide a ladder of opportunity for talent development, help fill skills gaps, drive business growth, and provide opportunities for building a sustainable and skilled workforce. The apprentices shared their personal experiences, reflecting on how the programmes opened new career paths, provided real-world experience, and led to increased confidence and career progression. 

To close the event, we presented certificates to our employer partners in recognition of their years of dedication to apprenticeships and their commitment to developing talent. This gesture serves as a recognition for their ongoing support to our programmes and to the apprenticeship community.