Top 5 Tips for Employers to Make the Most of National Apprenticeship Week
Learning Curve Group
We are a national training and education specialist. We transform lives through learning.
It’s National Apprenticeship Week on Monday – an annual celebration of the fantastic work that apprentices up and down the UK are doing day in and day out, and of course the work that employers, training providers and colleges are doing to support them!
At LCG, we love National Apprenticeship Week. We’re huge champions of the apprenticeship route and strongly believe that apprentices should be recognised and celebrated. Take a look at our dedicated National Apprenticeship Week 2025 page to see what other employers are up to this week and be inspired by case studies from across the UK.
As events and award ceremonies unfold up and down the country to mark the occasion this week, we want to share ways in which employers can make the most of National Apprenticeship Week 2025.
Our top 5 tips for employers to get involved in National Apprenticeship Week:
1. Show off your apprentices on social media!
Show that you’re an employer who cares about your apprentices and prioritises staff development. Companies that offer opportunities for employees to grow within their role are positioning themselves as an employer of choice! Not only that, but it’s also a powerful retention tool. Share your apprentice’s success stories on social media to celebrate their hard work and show them you appreciate their contributions.
At Learning Curve Group, we’re happy to support you in creating marketing materials and assets for NAW2025*, whether you’re our partner or not, just send your apprentice story to [email protected]. We would also love share your apprentices’ stories on our NAW2025 page. Don’t forget the hashtags #NAW2025 and #SkillsForLife and tag Learning Curve Group so we can repost your content on our social pages!
2. Host your own event
Why not hold an information session, open day or webinar during National Apprenticeship Week? By doing this, you can show off the benefits of working for your company and sector, promote apprenticeship opportunities you have, explain the application process and answer any questions from potential candidates. You should also consider reaching out to and working with local schools and colleges to promote your opportunities further. You could also host an internal event for staff to understand their options for learning and development!
At LCG, we’re not just an external apprenticeship provider, we also have over 40 members of our own staff on apprenticeship programmes! We always use National Apprenticeship Week as an opportunity to host our own internal ‘graduation’ ceremony, and we’re delighted that this year, we will be joined by our local MP, Alan Strickland. We’re also looking forward to co-hosting numerous events across the week in partnership with our trusted employers.
We’re promoting apprenticeship events throughout the week on our NAW2025 page. We’re happy to promote your event if you’re looking for a platform to share it on! Just email the event details over to [email protected] and we will add your event to the calendar*!
3. Share your vacancies and top tips for applying
Which brings us on to the next point – why not plan a social media takeover for NAW and bombard your followers’ feeds with your apprenticeship vacancies. This coupled with your apprenticeship case studies is bound to entice some keen learners! You want to make it as easy as possible for prospective apprentices to find an apprenticeship. By sharing some top tips for the application process, you will be engaging the best talent!
4. Kickstart an apprenticeship programme in your workplace
Not an apprentice employer yet? Not to worry! There are hundreds of training providers and colleges keen to partner with employers to widen opportunities. At Learning Curve Group, we partner with employers all over the UK to help fill their skills gaps through our apprenticeship programmes. Working with employers like FedEx, NHS trusts, RNIB, Foray Motor Group and Bannatyne (and hundreds more!) we provide apprenticeship programmes across a wide range of sectors like Digital, Health and Social Care, Business and Management, Transport, and Housing. ?We even help identify your skills gaps for you and support you in recruiting the right person for the role! Book in a conversation with us here.
5. NAW toolkit
Download the official National Apprenticeship Week logo, amongst other collateral and resources through the official Department for Education NAW toolkit, available at https://naw.appawards.co.uk/.
You can explore the toolkit for advice, sign up for the newsletter, add your own events to the calendar, post your vacancies and be inspired by real apprentice and employer success stories.
Find out the themes for each day of the week and inspiration on how to fit them into your week and planned activities.
*All Marketing support is dependent on capacity but we strive to support everyone.
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How the apprenticeship levy works
Apprenticeships can be funded through the apprenticeship levy, or co-investment, depending on your annual wage bill. If it exceeds the threshold of ￡3m, 0.5% will automatically be deducted by HMRC and added to your Apprenticeship Levy pot, which can only be spent on apprenticeships for your business.
Companies with a wage bill lower than ￡3m make a smaller contribution of the 5% of the specific apprenticeship which is combined with government funding to make up the costs of the apprenticeship programme and is organised on a programme-by-programme basis.
But you can find out everything you need to know about apprenticeship funding and more, in our employer’s guide to apprenticeships.
Changes to the apprenticeship levy and NI contributions
The apprenticeship levy is soon to be replaced by the Growth and Skills Levy due to changes that the government have implemented with the aim of increasing flexibility on how employers are able to spend their contributions.
Changes suggest that employers will be able to spend their levy on more than apprenticeships meaning that contributions may be able to fund a wider range of training such as short courses. So far, it seems that 50% of levy funds must still be spent on apprenticeship training with the other 50% being flexible but details have yet to be confirmed. These changes aim to meet regional and national skills demands as well as emerging demands in growth sectors.
With employer National Insurance Contributions rising from 13.8% to 15% this April, it seems there has never been a better time for employers to use their levy funds to offset cost increases that will come into effect. As NICs rise, it will become more expensive to employ new staff. But by investing in apprentices and staff training now, you will be helping future-proof your business – by developing your talent in-house, you will be reducing the need for expensive external recruitment in the future.
What our partners think
In 2024, we were rated the UKs 9th best Apprenticeship Provider on RateMyApprenticeship and we’ve also been shortlisted for the Training Provider of the Year and Excellence in Learner Support awards at the Apprenticeship and Training Awards 2025!
We’re committed to working with employers to help them fill their skills gaps. We specialise in delivering apprenticeship training solutions that unlock promising futures for individuals and businesses. With nearly two decades of experience, we have formed partnerships with some of the UK's top employers, collaborating to develop and deliver exceptional skills training across a wide range of industries.
We also work closely with employers to deliver funded staff training, short courses and support them with their recruitment needs.
Take a look at some our partners and their success stories below.