National Apprenticeship Week: Careers with people and the planet at heart

Last week was National Apprenticeship Week, and at Zest, the team immersed itself in activities designed to engage, inspire and inform the next generation about the abundant opportunities apprenticeships bring.

Throughout the week, Zest’s team invested 22 hours in sessions, workshops, and talks, engaging with a total of 875 young people across New City College Hackney, New College Durham, Hartlepool College of Further Education, and Dene Academy.  

As well as delivering four apprenticeship workshops, Zest participated in career events including Hartlepool College’s Big App Event. These events served as invaluable platforms for networking, knowledge-sharing, and collaboration, allowing the team to connect with aspiring apprentices, educators, and fellow organisations dedicated to shaping the future workforce.

Working in collaboration with forward-thinking organisations such as Durham Works, Zest also delivered impactful engagements aimed at empowering schools to meet Gatsby benchmarks, a framework for school leaders and career advisors to assess the development of pupils in employability skills.

Speaking about the importance of engaging young people in such events, Zest Social Value Manager, Anthony Dodd said, “We are committed to sparking change and igniting futures, one apprentice at a time. Our aim is to instil a sense of confidence, curiosity, and ambition in the talented youth of today, arming them with the skills and mindset needed to navigate the challenges of an ever-evolving workforce landscape.”

Zest is committed to empowering individuals to pursue meaningful careers and will continue to work to ensure that more young people are equipped with the knowledge and skills needed to thrive in the workforce of tomorrow.