The week of the 7th February to the 13th February, we celebrated Apprenticeship week, an important week for us to highlight the opportunities and benefits for women to take up apprenticeships in sectors where women are underrepresented.
For Apprenticeship week, our #NotJustForBoys programme engaged with seventy girls, three apprentices, six education providers, two employers and three youth service providers. We have had a brilliant time engaging the girls in activities to look at gender stereotypes and how this impacts the decisions they make in relation to education and career pathways.
This led into discussions about career opportunities available to them in non-traditional roles. The interest in construction, mechanics and engineering has been popular and it is encouraging to see more girls interested in these types of roles. The feedback we received has been powerful and we're thrilled to find that so many local schools and education providers want us to continue to engage with their pupils to help shape and inform their curriculum.
An example of one of the many activities delivered this week, our #NotJustFoysBoys Project Coordinator, Una, organised sessions for our girls to learn joinery skills and make wooden boxes for bat conservation. It’s a great way to engage and educate our students in making environmentally friendly decisions for animals as well as gaining joinery and construction skills. We hope this will spark an interest in the girls to explore a career in construction in their futures. Our instructor, Clare Childs, who is a bat conservationist, brought in her own bat named Doris, who was a massive hit with the girls as she snuggled and slept throughout the whole session.
We also launched our WOMEN’STEC TikTok account to kick start the week as great way to engage with our young audience and to showcase our students in action. You can follow us on @womenstec and check out our videos here!
These were just some of the many activities we delivered during Apprenticeship week and we would like to thank all our staff who made the week special. If interested, apprenticeship programmes offer training to people aged 16 and over. As an apprentice you will be working with experienced staff to learn and develop your skills. You can search for local apprenticeships here or have a look at our #NotJustForBoys website here!
Please do get in touch with us for help and support to explore the excellent apprenticeship opportunities that exist!