Overview
The main purpose of the panel is to ensure that the views of apprentices are represented across the work and governance of the Institute. The panel decides for itself which issues to focus on and can advise and challenge the board. Members of the panel are currently helping to develop content aimed at apprentices, for the Institute website.
The apprentice panel has hosted a series of podcast. They asked 10 questions to Gillian Keegan, Minister for Apprenticeships and Skills. The questions ranged from social mobility to funding for degree apprenticeships.
Want to join the apprentice panel?
Information about joining the apprentice panel
Summary
If you’re a confident and committed apprentice, and passionate about apprenticeships and technical education, this is a great opportunity for you to make an influential contribution to the government’s technical education reforms.
The Institute works with a panel of apprentices drawn from across industry and the length and breadth of England to advise government from the apprentice perspective. The Institute’s apprentice panel is made up of enthusiastic past and present apprentices that provide their insights to influence the Institute’s work and the Government’s policy on apprenticeships in a tangible way.
The panel meets every other month at the Institute’s offices (and elsewhere) to discuss current topics, ideas for the future and offer our opinion to the government. This includes regular meetings with ministers of state and senior government officials – so the panel has a unique opportunity to influence developments at the very highest levels.
You could be 16 or 60, doing a level 2 to level 7 apprenticeship, or working in any industry: we want the broadest possible representation on our panel.
Who you’ll be working with
The panel works mainly directly with the Institute itself. It is facilitated by members of the Institute staff, who help ensure that panel members have the best access to those they need to come into contact with.
The Institute’s work is mainly concerned with the design and approval of apprenticeship standards and T Level qualifications, but the panel will have opportunities to influence other parts of government concerned with areas such as the promotion of apprenticeships and the quality assurance of training.
Members of the panel have the freedom to agree how best to influence and share their views, but the Institute also provides support and guidance to help members to make the best of the opportunities they have.
What you’ll be doing
It’s expected that apprentices on the panel will be visible and enthusiastic ambassadors for apprenticeships in a range of ways, but they will also have responsibility for gathering the insights of as many apprentices as possible and ensuring these are able to be heard and understood by those with the power to change things for the better. You’ll also be working with the Institute’s relationship managers and other officials to ensure its apprenticeship standards are as good as they can possibly be.
The Institute will support panel members to survey apprentices, and to find speaking opportunities. There will be guidance about how best to promote apprenticeships using social media and other channels. Sometimes your work might involve high profile or media opportunities.
What experience you’ll need to apply
Members of the panel need to be current apprentices or people who have recently completed apprenticeships. It will be important for you to have a good understanding of the apprentice journey, and either have, or be willing to develop, a good network of connections with other apprentices
A good candidate for the panel would be someone who is confident, committed and passionate about apprenticeships. Ideally, the Institute would like a diverse panel with mixed experience, with at least one apprentice from each of the fifteen routes.
Applicants will need their employer’s support to join the panel, as there will be a commitment of time that will need employers’ support. Employers and apprentices should be aware that the time spent on panel work is unpaid, and will not count towards the 20% off-the-job training requirement of an apprenticeship. However, reasonable travel costs are reimbursed.
We expect those joining the panel to make a one-year minimum commitment to the panel, attending no fewer than 4 of the 6 panel meetings which are held per year, and undertaking other activities as required by the Institute. Members have a great opportunity to engage with and influence Government policy. In our experience of working with apprentices on the panel, those who get the most out of membership will be those who put the most effort in.
Making an application
You can make an application to join the apprentice panel by completing the form. Before completing and submitting the form, please do ensure that:
- you have read all the information in this form, and that you understand the commitment you are making;
- you have discussed the contents of this form and the requirements of the role with your employer;
- your employer has indicated their support for you applying for the role and is content for its name to appear on the Institute’s website alongside your own name in the event that you are successfully appointed to the panel.
Members of the apprentice panel
Amber Storey
Age: 24
Employer: Historic England
Apprenticeship: Historic environment advice assistant (Level 4)
Training Provider: Strode College
Assigned route: Creative and design
Reasons for joining the panel: I want to encourage other people struggling to break into and succeed in my sector to try the apprenticeship route. I know first-hand how hard it is, even with an academic background, to gain a foothold in such a competitive industry when it’s so difficult to acquire hands-on experience. I had never considered applying for an apprenticeship before. However, when my employer put out the opportunity to apply for this apprenticeship, it gave me the chance to gain experience and training, without losing the traction I was gaining from my job role.
Angela Hogg
Age: 41
Employer: Lloyds Banking Group
Apprenticeship: Digital technology solutions specialist (Level 6)
Training Provider: Manchester Metropolitan University
Assigned route: Legal, finance and accounting
Reasons for joining the panel: I joined my apprenticeship scheme aged 40, having had a good career. However, I found after a few restructures that I was struggling to push to the next level, and I needed to do something radical. My company is undergoing a digital transformation and the digital technology solutions degree apprenticeship seemed a great opportunity. I joined the panel to be an advocate for people looking for alternatives, especially as we will be working longer. Many people will need to adapt as environments change.
Dillon Jones
Age: 24
Employer: Derry Building Services
Apprenticeship: Installation electrician and maintenance electrician (Level 3)
Training Provider: JTL
Assigned route: Construction
Reasons for joining the panel: I am confident that I can make a difference for future apprentices not only in my field but throughout the UK’s workforce. Being a part of the apprenticeship panel enables all of our of apprentices to have a voice and make sure that they are heard, not only by their employer but by the government as well. I also want to get the message across that earning whilst you’re learning is a massive benefit for apprenticeships and one that is often overlooked.
John Alfred
Employer: Paul Edmonds London
Apprenticeship: Hair professional (Level 2)
Training Provider: Cheynes Training
Assigned route: Hair and beauty
Reasons for joining the panel: I love my industry and will take every opportunity that arises to represent it. I have worked within teams on different levels, inside and outside of London, and so I believe I can bring a wider view of what it is like to train in hairdressing.
Joel Roach
Age: 20
Employer: Microsoft
Apprenticeship: Chartered manager degree (Level 6)
Training Provider: QA
Assigned route: Business admin
Reasons for joining the panel: Having experienced both university and an apprenticeship, I know the huge value the latter can bring. I feel there is a tendency to view traditional university as the default option, with more and more students going because they don’t know what alternatives are available. I want to raise the profile of apprenticeships so that students who have doubts about traditional university can find an option that’s best for them.
Jamilah Simpson
Age: 20
Employer: WhiteHat
Apprenticeship: (former) Digital marketer (Level 3)
Training provider: WhiteHat
Job title: Community President
Assigned route: Creative and design
Reasons for joining the panel: I want to be able to share the views of my peers and act as a representative to the apprentice community across the country. I am passionate about making sure apprentices’ voices are heard. I will bring forward any concerns and feedback from my apprentice network. I would also like to continue challenging negative perceptions around apprenticeships.
Jacqueline Kankam-Hoppe
Age: 19
Employer: Karine Jackson
Apprenticeship: Advanced and creative hair professional (Level 3)
Training Provider: City and Guilds
Assigned route: Hair and beauty
Reasons for joining the panel: I want to help current and future apprentices get the most out of their training. Working in the past at a salon where I was unhappy, and training wasn’t prioritised led to the deterioration of my wellbeing and mental health. Apprentices work very hard and most have to juggle work with outside factors such as being parents or carers, money problems and school deadlines. With the help of this panel, I would want to use my platform to work towards the goal of apprentices getting the right training in a positive environment and the recognition that they deserved.
Amelia Russell
Age: 22
Employer: The Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education
Apprenticeship: Business administrator (Level 3)
Training provider: KnowledgePool
Assigned route: Education and childcare
Reasons for joining the panel: I am passionate about apprenticeships. I aim to really show off how amazing they are for people from all backgrounds. Being a care leaver, I faced many barriers in my life. I finally feel like my apprenticeship has opened so many doors. I am proud to say, ‘I am an apprentice’ and joining the panel will provide a unique opportunity to influence how they develop in the future.
Sam Davies
Age: 23
Employer: The University of Manchester
Apprenticeship: Laboratory technician (Level 3)
Training Provider: Trafford College
Assigned route: Health and science
Reasons for joining the panel: I have a passion for apprenticeships and want to be involved in their development and advertisement, helping ensure others can experience the same opportunities I have. Many people feel that university is the obvious next step post-school or college. I want to be a part of the panel, so that I can help to raise awareness of the apprenticeships on offer and get the message to young people that they don't have to go to university to get a good job. I would also like to focus on helping to promote apprenticeships (specifically science-related roles) to conventionally unrepresented groups of people. For example, there has been a lack of representation of women in science. I also think more people from BAME backgrounds should be represented.
Marcus Kaye
Age: 22
Employer: IBM
Apprenticeship: Data analyst (Level 4)
Training Provider: Firebrand Training
Assigned route: Digital
Reasons for joining the panel: Apprenticeships are a proven and effective way of increasing skills in the workplace and I wanted the opportunity to help influence and further improve their promotion, creation and delivery going forward.
Ricardo Costa
Age: 20
Employer: The Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education
Apprenticeship: Commercial Procurement and Supply (Level 4)
Training Provider: Knowledgepool
Assigned route: Sales, marketing and procurement
Reasons for joining the panel: After speaking about my own experiences at a National Apprenticeship Week event, I realised I had a passion for spreading awareness. I loved talking about how my apprenticeship changed my life for the better. I have since joined a network with other apprentices from the Education and Skills Funding Agency and other organisations. As my sphere of contacts grows, along with my background knowledge on what the panel does through my work at the Institute, I thought the next step was for me to become a part of it.
Nikki Greaves
Age: 20
Employer: GSK
Apprenticeship: Laboratory scientist (Level 5)
Training Provider: University of Kent
Assigned route: Health and science
Reasons for joining the panel: I want to help apprentices gain the best experience they can out of their apprenticeships. It also seems like a good way to promote apprenticeships to others in order to raise awareness and potentially get more people interested in this pathway.
Louis Curtis
Age: 22
Employer: Aggregate Industries
Apprenticeship: Mineral products technician (Level 5)
Training Provider: University of Derby
Assigned route: Construction/ engineering and manufacturing
Reasons for joining the panel: I feel extremely lucky to have been accepted back on to the panel for a second year. I have been able to represent the voice of apprentices not only from my industry but from the East Midlands to key stakeholders who share my passion for improving the availability and quality of apprenticeships. It has been a brilliant opportunity so far to meet with like-minded apprentices and I want to continue to drive the panel forward and help it to achieve its objectives of becoming a well-founded source of information to the Institute, government and industry leaders.
Raisa Matadar
Age: 23
Employer: Jaguar Land Rover
Apprenticeship: Engineering technician (Level 3)
Training Provider: MAKE UK (formerly known as EEF)
Assigned route: Engineering and manufacturing
Reasons for joining the panel: I want to help ensure that apprentices across the country have a positive apprenticeship experience and that they feel competent and supported to progress in their careers. As an apprentice, in my previous job I had an experience so poor that I had to leave, but in my new role I have since seen the impact that a high-quality apprenticeship can have. I have been, and always will be, a keen advocate for apprenticeships. Being a part of this panel will allow me to help ensure apprentices across the country are given a voice to create change.
Samantha Ross
Age: 21
Employer: Bevan Brittan LLP
Apprenticeship: Solicitor (Level 7)
Training Provider: BPP University
Assigned route: Legal, finance and accounting
Reasons for joining the panel: I have been an apprentice for nearly three years now. I originally completed a level 3 paralegal apprenticeship and I have now progressed onto level 7. Having already completed one end-point assessment, I wanted to join the panel to share my views and experiences of this to help develop future apprenticeships. I will strive to voice the opinions of fellow apprentices and look forward to witnessing the changes over the coming years, as the route into the legal profession continues to adapt.
Molly Parnham
Age: 22
Employer: IBM
Apprenticeship: Junior management consultancy (Level 4)
Training provider: IBM
Assigned route: Sales, marketing and procurement
Reasons why you wanted to be a part of the panel: I have always been passionate about apprenticeships and wanted to help improve schemes. I think apprenticeships help people of all backgrounds and give incredible career starting opportunities. As someone who identifies as LGBT+, I wanted to make sure that I could represent other LGBT+ apprentices when discussing the progression and inclusion of apprenticeship schemes.
Zuzanna Wnekowska
Age: 23
Employer: Airbus
Apprenticeship: Aerospace engineer (degree)
Training provider: University of West England
Assigned route: Engineering and manufacturing
Reasons for joining the panel: I joined the panel because I have a passion for apprentice voice, having started my representation in the National Society of Apprentices and now also on the Institute panel. I believe apprenticeships are the best way to gain your qualifications and experience. My goal is to make apprenticeships in the UK, an international standard of quality and think in order to achieve this we need to include an apprentice voice in all decisions to do with us!
Amy Marren
Employer: BPP Holdings Limited
Apprenticeship: Solicitor
Training provider: BPP University
Assigned route: Legal, finance and accounting
Reasons for joining the panel:
As a double Paralympian, having been born with a missing right hand at the level of the wrist. My switch from the world of sport to the world of apprenticeships has not been a recent one as I completed the Level 4 Paralegal apprenticeship at BPP in June 2019 before progressing on to the Solicitor apprenticeship in September 2019.
As a member of the apprentice panel, I believe that I could bring a good sense of inclusion and diversity. By definition, inclusion is the action or state of including or of being included within a group or structure. But to me, inclusion means accepting people as they are and seeing their differences as their strengths. Inclusion and appreciating others, along with their opinions is something that I would bring to the panel as it is so incredibly important to me.
My main aim as a panel member would be to provide very honest and open accounts of what it is like to be not only an apprentice but an apprentice with a physical disability as I do not always think that disabled people feel that the world of work is as accepting of them. As well as this, I would like to make sure that the panel works hard to ensure that the stigma of apprenticeships is removed and that young people can still be intelligent.
You can listen to Amy's journey to become an apprentice and why she joined the apprentice panel on our podcast channel.
Hamzah Ahmed
Employer: Airbus Operations UK Ltd
Apprenticeship: Aerospace engineer (degree)
Training provider: University West of England/ Bristol City College
Assigned route: Engineering and manufacturing
Reasons for joining the panel:
The apprenticeship scheme has provided me with an enormous opportunity to kick start my career within aviation. I believe I have a responsibility to give something back and furthermore show people how the route I chose is as good (and better than) the traditional educational route. Continuous improvement and development is key to enhancing the scheme. Being on the scheme for the last 3 years and through all its changes, I believe there is still much more to do and I want to be apart of that journey.
During my sixth form years, the whole apprenticeship scheme was unknown and I had to become my own schools independent expert on the matter. My objective, as a representative of the engineering and manufacturing route, will include the improvement of basic school knowledge of the route. Hopefully enabling prospective students to be better aware of the opportunities they have after school. In addition to this, I’d like to improve the employer’s knowledge of the opportunities available for apprentices during their scheme. Despite being a pro-active apprentice, it was only through coincidence that I was made aware of this panel. I believe such great opportunities should be showcased more to include all the awards that employers and apprentices alike can achieve!
Stacey Dunne
Employer: Virgin Media
Apprenticeship: Engineering technician
Training provider: GK Apprenticeships
Assigned route: Creative and design
Reasons for joining the panel:
As an older apprentice, I feel I am able to acknowledge realistic expectations but also not afraid to explore new ideas and question the “normal”. These bright enquiring minds deserve a fantastic start to a career where they can really climb an unlimited ladder, offer new ways of thinking and get to know your business inside out, good processes and bad, taking apart a limit and creating magic that you can grow and nurture within your field and business. Apprenticeships are the ultimate goal in my opinion and you can no longer be limited to a classroom environment to gain further education. The practical element is the winning formula in advancing to the next level in education and I want to be there to make it the best it can be for our learners.
Lauren Desmond
Age: 26
Employer: Home Office
Apprenticeship: Leadership and management degree
Training provider: QA
Assigned route: Business and administration
Reasons for joining the panel:
Apprenticeships have played a huge part in my development, from completing a level 2 with McDonald's to entering the Civil Service on an ODP Level 3 which has led on to a degree apprenticeship. I attended university after college but if I had been aware of the opportunities apprenticeships provided that may not have been the case. I want to make sure all young people are aware of all the options so that they can make decisions that are right for them and learn at work if formal education is not the route they wish to take. I am also tremendously passionate about how we can use apprenticeships to improve social mobility and to level up the country. Apprenticeships are for everyone, which is an important message we need to work on getting out there to aid the skills gap and ensure we have a future proof workforce.
Rhiannon Rees-Jones
Employer: Northamptonshire County Council
Apprenticeship: Business administration (level 3)
Training provider: Local Government Shared Services
Assigned route: Care services
Reasons for joining the panel:
Ever since I was diagnosed with Asperger’s in my late twenties, I have been presented with many challenges, which I overcame through sheer determination. I wanted to be on the panel to share my life and experience, build up a network, and continue to be a role model for other individuals on the autistic spectrum.
I started the apprenticeship at 38 and not only did I achieve two awards for my apprenticeship; NHCP (Northamptonshire Health and Care Partnership) Apprenticeship Awards for ‘Behind the Scenes’ in Adult Social Care’ and ‘Apprentice of the Year 2020’, but I also went on to achieve an overall grade of Distinction on completion which is a massive achievement. I am very proud of what I have achieved throughout my time as an apprentice.