‘All About Apprenticeships’ event in Norwich: It's Free!
This All About Apprenticeships event is now over, and we had a great time meeting so many people local to Norwich who wanted to talk about apprenticeships. The day was filled with meaningful conversations about how people can either do an apprenticeship themselves or use the apprenticeship scheme to support staff development within their business. From job seekers to business owners, educators to team leaders, it was fantastic to see such a broad mix of people coming together with a shared interest in learning, growth, and opportunity.
We love exploring personal development and business growth with you; it’s what we are passionate about. Gatherings like the All About Apprenticeships event give us the chance to step away from emails and screens and have real, honest conversations about what people need right now and where they want to go next. If you didn’t get to come along on the day and still have questions you want answered, please don’t worry. Just drop us a line, as we’re very happy to catch up virtually or over a cup of tea: louie@swarmgroup.org.uk.
18th June 2025 – The ‘All About Apprenticeships’ Event in Norwich
On Wednesday, 18th June, we were delighted to be part of the “All About Apprenticeships” event in Norwich. Did you know it's free to go?. This All About Apprenticeships event was designed to be informative, welcoming, and practical. It provided a space where people could ask questions, explore options, and leave feeling clearer and more confident about apprenticeships.
Whether attendees were at the very start of their career, considering a change, or running a business and thinking about workforce development, the event offered something for everyone. The aim was simple: to create an environment where conversations about skills, training, and future plans could happen naturally and openly.
Throughout the day, we shared a wide range of information, resources, and real-life examples to help people understand how apprenticeships work in practice. At this event, our focus was on showing how apprenticeships can be flexible, practical, and genuinely valuable, not just in theory, but in real workplaces and real careers.
Case Studies From Real Businesses
We talked through case studies from the many challenges our business clients have faced and how we have helped solve these problems. These included skills gaps, retention issues, difficulties recruiting the right people, and uncertainty around training pathways. By sharing real examples, we were able to show how apprenticeships can be tailored to specific business needs and how they can support long-term growth.
How Training and Skills Development Can Really Work
A key theme of the All About Apprenticeships event was showing how training and skills development can truly work for your specific business, not as a generic solution, but as something aligned to your goals, culture, and future plans. Apprenticeships are often misunderstood as rigid or only suitable for certain roles, and we spent time dispelling those myths and explaining what’s actually possible.
Understanding the Government-Funded Apprenticeship System
We also shared a wealth of knowledge about the Government-funded apprenticeship system. We shared how it works, how it’s funded, and how businesses and individuals can use it effectively. For many people, this was one of the most valuable parts of the All About Apprenticeships event, as the system can feel complex or overwhelming without clear guidance.
Support for Schools, Job Seekers, and Employers
Another important part of the event was highlighting how different groups can benefit from working together.
1. Collaboration Pack for Schools
For schools and educators, we introduced our collaboration pack, designed to support engagement with young people around employment opportunities. This includes helping students understand what apprenticeships are, how they compare to other routes, and how they can be a powerful option for those who want to learn while they earn.
2. Opportunities for Job Seekers
For job seekers, the event explored how to land the job you want, how apprenticeships can open doors, and what employers are really looking for. We also shared details of some of the apprenticeship vacancies we currently have available, helping attendees see real opportunities rather than just concepts.
3. A Powerful Recruitment and Training Tool for Employers
We spoke to many employers who were keen to explore how apprenticeships can be a powerful recruitment and training tool. These conversations highlighted how apprenticeships are not just about filling vacancies, but about building skills in a way that aligns with business needs, culture, and long-term goals.
Employers shared common challenges around attracting the right talent, developing existing staff, and planning for future growth, and apprenticeships offered practical solutions to all three. By recruiting new talent through apprenticeships or upskilling current employees, businesses can shape skills from the ground up, improve retention, and create clear development pathways that benefit both the individual and the organisation.
For many employers at the event, apprenticeships represented a smarter, more sustainable approach to workforce development rather than a short-term fix.
Who Is the All About Apprenticeships Event For?
This All About Apprenticeships event was perfect for anyone looking to build their career, or for busy business owners in the Norfolk area who needed time away from the computer screen and ongoing emails. It offered space to think about growth, reflect on challenges, and chat with peers for inspiration.
We all had the opportunity to meet in person and talk about personal, team, and business development plans for the future. These conversations often lead to new ideas, renewed confidence, and practical solutions to challenges that may have felt stuck when faced alone.
Our Role at the All About Apprenticeships Event
Our role at the “All About Apprenticeships” event was to answer questions, give advice, and provide solutions. We wanted to hear exactly how things are for you right now so we could point you in the direction of what, and who, can help, whatever that might be.
We bring many years of experience in:
Personal development
Skills training
Building high-performing teams
Supporting businesses with growth challenges
Often, the solution is about helping you acquire the knowledge you need, either for yourself or your team. Sometimes it’s about recruiting the right candidates, and at other times it’s about connecting you with relevant support, tools, or resources. The event allowed us to explore all of these possibilities in one place.
Hearing From Apprentices and Employers
One of the highlights of the All About Apprenticeships event was hearing from experienced apprenticeship ambassadors who have completed apprenticeships themselves, as well as employers who currently employ apprentices. These honest conversations helped attendees understand the reality of apprenticeships, both the challenges and the benefits, and how they can genuinely transform careers and businesses.
Looking Ahead to the Next All About Apprenticeships Event in 2026
We really enjoyed seeing everyone at this year’s all about apprenticeships event, even if it was just for a cuppa and a chat with someone who understands the challenges you’re facing. Sometimes, having a sounding board or a second set of eyes on a problem can make all the difference, and events like this remind us how valuable it is to step away from screens and emails and talk things through in person.
Because of the positive feedback, great conversations, and clear appetite for more face-to-face discussions, we’re already looking ahead to the next All About Apprenticeships event in 2026. The aim will be to build on everything that worked so well this year: honest conversations, practical advice, real examples, and a welcoming space for people to explore apprenticeships, skills development, and future plans, whether for themselves or their business.
If you couldn’t attend this year’s all about apprenticeships event but would like to be involved next time, we’d love to see you in 2026. We’ll be sharing details closer to the time, so keep an eye on our website and social channels, or feel free to drop us a line if you’d like to be the first to know when registration opens.
And of course, if you have questions in the meantime, about apprenticeships and staff development, please do get in touch. We’re always happy to catch up virtually or over a cup of tea. We’d love to help if we can, and we’ll always try.
