National Apprenticeship Week employer webinar: What lies behind the success stories

Many employers are using apprenticeships to plug skills gaps, recruit and retain employees and build strong internal talent pipelines. And they are achieving the results they want, but it does require commitment and effort, on the part of the employer, the line manager, the apprentice and the learning provider.

To mark National Apprenticeship Week 2025, the Open University (OU) and earn and learn employer movement, The 5% Club, pulled together a panel of experts to share their insights and experiences on what makes a successful apprenticeship programme. Entitled What lies behind the success stories? the webinar was hosted by Jagdeep Soor, Executive Director of the Multicultural Apprenticeship and Skills Alliance.

Watch the webinar on demand here

Apprenticeships develop the skills, knowledge and behaviours that allow employees to succeed and thrive in their workplace but how they are utilised varies from employer to employer.
Jagdeep Soor,
Executive Director of the Multicultural Apprenticeship and Skills Alliance

Employers need to think very carefully about why they are running an apprenticeship programme and how it will work. Craig Jackson, Head of Apprenticeship Services at the OU, says there are regulatory requirements, such as time for off-the-job learning each week, that employers need to factor into the apprentice’s working week. He thinks everyone needs to be fully committed to the apprenticeship from the outset for it to work. “It’s a tripartite agreement with the employer, the provider and the apprentice. Each one of these plays a key role in the success of the apprenticeship.”

The importance of line managers

Louise Timperley, Apprenticeship Manager at the Co-op, agrees with Jackson, although she singles out line managers are being particularly important. “If you haven’t got buy in from the line managers, the apprentice will not succeed. That’s the most important piece of advice.” If a line manager is new to the apprenticeship approach, Louise recommends that they take advantage of all the resources that providers offer.

The Co-op employs a high number of apprentices, for reskilling and career progression as well as for new recruits, and Louise says they are a core part of the organisation’s strategic workforce plans.

We’ve been very clear throughout the development process that it has benefits to the business, as well as benefits to the individual, that they are really important to us.
Louise Timperley
Apprenticeship Manager at the Co-op

Barriers of misconception

There are so many different types of apprenticeships now, but some people still perceive them as only for school leavers. Mark Cameron, Chief Executive of the The 5% Club, says this needs to change. “We need to challenge the notion that apprenticeships are just for early careers. They’re for everybody.” He agrees with Louise that apprenticeship programmes should be a central part of workforce planning and that employers need to view apprenticeships through the lens of upskilling and reskilling.

Addressing talent shortages

Many organisations are using apprenticeships to address skills and talent gaps. Hazel Ostle, Workforce Transformation and Development Manager at Durham County Council and Claire Brown, Workforce Lead for Social Work Education at Durham County Council, were both on the webinar panel. They spoke about how the council uses apprenticeships as an effective recruitment and training tool against a backdrop of pronounced skills shortages in social work.

Claire said apprenticeships enable the council to grow its own talent pipeline and reach out to a wider audience. They have raised awareness of apprenticeships in the local community by providing regular online briefings in partnership with the OU. “That’s very, very useful because I think it gives the apprentices a greater understanding of what the programme is from the OU’s point of view but also the offer from ourselves as an employer.

Durham is a sizeable council with some very rural areas, so Hazel says the ability to provide distance learning is critically important. The structure and flexibility of the OU’s approach are also key to the success of its apprenticeship programmes. “It’s really clear to our apprentices what they need to do each week so there’s less room for them to drop behind. And we have planned our scheme so that they are released regularly on the same day each week so that they have that time to study.”