National Apprenticeship Week 2026

National Apprenticeship Week (NAW) 2026 was celebrated during February. This year’s theme was ‘Skills for Life’, highlighting how apprenticeships offer a powerful foundation for long-term career success and personal growth.

Throughout the week, we hosted a series of guest speakers to raise awareness of the diverse professional roles available to our students. It was particularly inspiring to welcome back several alumni who are at various stages of their own apprenticeship journeys.

To start the week, we welcomed back alumni who are now thriving at Turner & Townsend, the global real estate and infrastructure consultancy. They shared insights into the world of Project Management and Quantity Surveying, explaining how they help deliver some of the world’s most iconic building projects..

Northumbria Police joined us to ‘bust the myths’ surrounding modern policing. Officers and recruitment specialists detailed the Police Constable Degree Apprenticeship (PCDA) – a three-year programme where recruits earn a BSc (Hons) in Professional Policing Practice while serving on the front line.

We also heard from two past students currently undertaking their Trainee Scientist Degree Apprenticeships at Johnson Matthey. They spoke passionately about their mission to accelerate the transition to Net-Zero. A key takeaway from their talk was that apprentices are far more than ‘helpers’; they are actively involved in developing the high-level technologies required to reduce global carbon emissions.

Hosting these sessions demonstrates to our students that their potential is limitless, and the routes to success are more diverse than ever.