EXPERT INSIGHT – Promoting ATE pathways is a shared responsibility with Sarah Barley, Director of Community, The Education Alliance (TEAL)

The Education Alliance (TEAL) takes a whole-school approach to embedding apprenticeship and career pathways into everyday learning. Teaching staff are supported to integrate apprenticeship education into lessons, while tutors share videos from the Amazing Apprenticeships website to spark discussion. Personal Development sessions also link directly to careers and apprenticeships, ensuring students understand real-world opportunities.

Each school in the alliance appoints Careers Champions before the academic year begins. These champions are brilliant at collaborating with Careers Leads and departments, disseminating the resources in preparation for National Apprenticeship Week (NAW). Teachers have a lot to do in the classroom and making sure the week is as smooth as possible for the staff is absolutely essential. The resources are there but we need to ensure the staff are comfortable in using them.  We always make sure our staff start preparing early  – subject-specific posters are displayed in classrooms at the start of the academic year, and staff are encouraged to discuss the apprenticeships featured on these posters at the start or end of teaching modules, or whenever they see a link to their subject. It’s so important that staff are familiar with the terminology of apprenticeships, and the posters are such an easy way to embed apprenticeships into the curriculum without too much planning.

We know that staff CPD is a massive part of the Gatsby Benchmarks moving forward, and we know there is a lot to do in this area. We find that Amazing Apprenticeships’ Rapid Read resources are great for staff CPD and these are distributed across departments, enabling staff to make meaningful curriculum connections before delivery to students.

Teachers receive a comprehensive Apprenticeship Week plan offering flexible options, from discussing posters and showing videos to delivering lesson activities, depending on their confidence and expertise. Staff briefings explore the reasons behind celebrating NAW, helping colleagues understand its purpose and how it inspires young people.

This collective effort is deeply embedded in our career’s curriculum and culture. At TEAL, promoting pathways is not just the role of the careers team; it is a shared responsibility.

We know that every school is different and what works at TEAL may be different to what works in another school. I really recommend tailoring resources to the needs of the individual school. Careers staff are in charge of choosing the most suitable resources for their school. These can then be shared by the Careers Champions with the different departments.

Find out more about how TEAL promote apprenticeships and technical education by reading their Officially Amazing case studies and hear more from Sarah about how she prepares for NAW by catching up on last month’s Schools and Colleges NAW webinar.