Footballers Trade Places with Engineers for National Apprenticeship Week
20 apprentices from Chesterfield Football Club will hang up their boots and swap the pitch for the workshop when they trade places with 18 mechanical engineering apprentices during National Apprenticeship Week (9 – 13 March).
The Big Apprentice Swap, which takes place on Friday 13 March, has been organised by Chesterfield Champion NLT Training Services; a specialist training and provider of apprentices in welding, electrical engineering and mechanical engineering.
The Chesterfield FC apprentices will experience a day in NLT Training’s workshop gaining hands-on experience in welding, electrical engineering and mechanical engineering. NLT’s apprentices will spend the day as footballers undergoing physical training both in the gym and on the pitch at the Proact stadium.
14 of the NLT apprentices taking part in the event are currently undertaking Level 2 and 3 apprenticeships with local employers. Four outstanding learners from NLT’s pre-apprenticeship programme Evolve, have also been selected by tutors to take part in the training at Chesterfield Football Club.
Andy Sheppard, CEO of NLT Training Services said: “The Big Apprentice Swap highlights perfectly the diversity of apprenticeships available in Chesterfield today. There is literally something for everyone.
“National Apprenticeship Week 2015 gives us the opportunity to showcase the far reaching benefits of apprenticeships. For young people they provide them with a solid platform for their future career. 83% of young people who are in apprenticeships tell us that their ability to do their job and career prospects had improved. For employers, apprenticeships, particularly in the manufacturing and engineering sector, are essential to filling the skills gap and securing the future growth of these companies.”
Spireites Chief Executive, Chris Turner said: “We are pleased to be able to support this initiative to help raise awareness of apprenticeships and the opportunities they offer. The club’s youngsters will benefit from the experience of spending a day in a different environment, learning new skills in the NLT Training workshop, while our coaches will enjoy putting the NLT apprentices through their paces!”
Since 2010, two million apprenticeships have been started with 90% of apprentices remaining in employment after successfully completing their apprenticeship.
National Apprenticeship Week (NAW) is co-ordinated by the National Apprenticeship Service and is designed to celebrate apprenticeships and the positive impact they have on individuals, businesses and the wider economy.
The Big Apprentice Swap is just one of number events being organised by NLT Training Services during the week-long celebrations for National Apprenticeship Week both locally and further afield. Other events include:
- Monday 9 March: A day in the Life of an Apprentices. Staff will be taught by NLT’s own Level 3 apprentices;
- Tuesday 10 March: NLT is holding a mini careers convention for Yr11s at Springwell School;
- Wednesday 11 March: NLT learners are attending the UK’s young scientists and engineers fair The Big Bang at Birmingham’s NEC;
- Friday 13 March:The Big Apprentice Swap
- Saturday 14 March: NLT Training Services Open Day from 12:00- 4:00pm. A chance for local companies and young people to view the facilities, and talk to the Business Development team about the Evolve Engineering programme and apprenticeships.
(Image features apprentices Casey Allen and Matt Jamson.)
