National Apprenticeship Week: Investing In Talent, Investing In The Future

National Apprenticeship Week is always a moment of reflection for me. I’m a passionate advocate for apprenticeships, not just in theory, but through lived experience.

My own career started with an apprenticeship in Business Administration. It was my route into recruitment, the industry I was determined to build a career in. It gave me exactly what I needed at that stage of life: a foot in the door, the chance to earn while learning, and exposure to the fundamentals of business that I still rely on today.

It wasn’t glamorous. My starting wage was £82 per week, so I worked three evenings a week as a barman just to cover the cost of running my car and getting to work. But what I gained in experience, responsibility and resilience far outweighed the short-term financial sacrifice.

Apprenticeships build more than technical capability. They develop accountability, work ethic, communication skills, teamwork, adaptability and commercial awareness, often at a much younger age than traditional routes. I’ve seen this first-hand not only in my own journey, but through my siblings, who chose apprenticeship pathways with organisations such as Toyota and Rolls-Royce, and even recruitment. All have gone on to build successful careers.

Beyond personal stories, there is a much bigger conversation happening, particularly in engineering and advanced manufacturing.

Every week, I speak with senior leaders in precision engineering and advanced manufacturing businesses who are facing a growing skills challenge. The data speaks for itself:

• The average age of an engineer in the UK is 54
• Up to 20% of the current engineering workforce is expected to retire within the next five years
• Nearly 40% of the engineering workforce is already over 50

While experience should always be valued, and age inclusivity remains essential, these statistics highlight a looming succession challenge. Without structured investment in early-career talent, knowledge transfer becomes increasingly difficult and operational risk increases.

Apprenticeships are one of the most powerful solutions available. They allow experienced professionals to pass on decades of expertise while creating a sustainable pipeline of skilled individuals ready to step into future roles.

I believe we still need to do more to champion this route. Schools, colleges and employment support organisations often prioritise university pathways, and for some professions, a degree is absolutely essential. However, in many industries I recruit for, practical experience consistently outweighs theoretical knowledge. Time and again, I see candidates struggle to break into sectors where hands-on exposure is the true differentiator.

University and apprenticeships should be positioned as equal choices, different pathways, not different standards. Young people deserve full visibility of the incredible opportunities apprenticeships can create: earning, learning, developing professionally and building real-world experience from day one.

As EMBS continues to grow, we’re committed to playing our part. Later this year, we’ll be looking to bring apprentices into both Recruitment and Marketing, giving the next generation the same opportunity to build, learn and progress that so many of us have benefited from.

If we want to futureproof our industries, close skills gaps and create long-term stability, we must invest in emerging talent now.

Apprenticeships are not a backup plan. They are a smart, strategic and proven route to success.