All aboard! Apprenticeship bus inspires next generation with exciting futures

Amazing opportunities in a wide range of apprenticeships await secondary school students aboard the apprenticeship bus from 4 – 6 February as part of National Apprenticeship Week. This year, the bus will be arriving at schools across the city for an additional day.

The initiative is led by Shaping Portsmouth and other partners including The University of Portsmouth, The Solent Apprenticeship Hub and Stagecoach. The bus was first launched in 2018 with the mission to inspire secondary school children to consider apprenticeships as an alternative after education.

University of Portsmouth Lecture Mini-Series a Success

On Wednesday 28th March, the University of Portsmouth welcomed 120 Year 11’s from seven secondary schools across the city to attend a lecture mini-series. The lecture focused on two popular texts studied for GCSE English Literature: Shakespeare’s Macbeth and A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens.

The lectures, delivered by Dr Dyson, Dr Finnerty and Dr Pittard, gave the pupils a glimpse into what university study would be like, as well as giving them an excellent revision experience.

The event was hugely popular, (despite the pouring rain!), and the pupils and teachers gave great reviews. One student said that they “really loved it, and I want to study English at University now,” and a teacher praised the event as the “pupils were so involved and really challenged.”

The event was organised by the Portsmouth Teaching School Alliance and the University of Portsmouth and the hope is to be able to run similar events in the future, hopefully covering a wider range of GCSE topics.

For more information, please contact Sophie at the Portsmouth Teaching School Alliance.

Apprenticeship Awareness Twilight Event 23.04.18

Aspire Learning and development is supporting a small apprenticeship awareness project with the SUN.

This project is aimed at teachers (not careers teachers), with the objective to provide up to date information to schools in the Solent area on the realities and opportunities of apprenticeships. This will include things from progression opportunities and Level 4+ opportunities, to Higher and Degree apprenticeships. It will also provide a chance for those of you attending to speak to current apprentices and ambassadors.

If you attend you will receive a resource pack, which may enable you to then run cascade events in your own schools to fellow teachers and pupils.

The content of the resource pack will include items such as:

  • Powerpoint presentations covering the up to date facts about apprenticeships on a memory stick
  • Information on how to access local opportunities
  • Case studies – written and video
  • Information on progression routes for different curriculum areas (looking at diverse routes and highlighting unusual pathways)
  • A desk top apprenticeship banner stand
  • Posters
  • Factsheets for parents/Governors
  • Apprenticeship activities
  • How to… information sheets
  • Links to online resources such as Future Apprenticeships and Amazing Apprenticeships
  • An overview of Higher and Degree Apprenticeships

The event will be hosted by Fareham College on the 23rd April from 4.00pm – 6.30pm and refreshments will be provided. There are around 50 places on offer.

For more information please contact Alison Sumpter, [email protected]