National Apprenticeship Week 2025 reflection

We’re reflecting on our activities and discussions during National Apprenticeship Week 2025.

The week began with the launch of the PSS Guide to Apprenticeships in England, the first in a series of apprenticeship guides. The guide has been created to help those in the port sector who may be newer to apprenticeship programmes to understand each stage of the process. It also provides case studies from those with successful apprenticeship programmes already in place.

Midweek, our Skills Lead, Angela Ward, and our Safety, Health, and Environment Technician Apprentice, Umayya Rahman, attended the Association of Apprentices’ (AoA) employer event, ‘Apprenticeships: Expectation vs Reality’. They heard insights from Group GTI and the Association of Apprentices on school leaver expectations and the AoA’s BIG Apprentice Survey 2024, which clearly showed some areas employers could improve upon, including the recruitment and assessment process, induction, and having clear career pathways.

PSS showcased apprenticeships by featuring apprentice case studies and videos; these will remain available on our website. We also highlighted our training provider members who train apprentices in the port sector and shared numerous social media posts from our members throughout the week.

It was such an inspiring week – hearing from apprentices and apprentice managers, finding out more about their roles and the important part they play in the port sector. We’d like to express our gratitude to all PSS members and their apprentices for sharing their stories with us.