On Friday 1st December, the Amazing Apprenticeships team hosted a launch event for a brand-new suite of SEND resources, including an apprenticeship film, at the BBC’s New Broadcasting House.
The film, ‘Amazing Apprentices: This Is My Story’, platforms six amazing apprentices and their stories, promoting the value that apprentices with a range of learning and physical differences, disabilities and health conditions bring to the sector, and the availability of opportunities for young people with additional needs.
We were joined for the launch event by all six of the apprentices who feature in the film, from organisations including the BBC, Sodexo and Therapy Gyms. They were surrounded at the event by their families, employers, supporters and training providers to celebrate the launch of the new resources.
Anna Morrison CBE, Founder and Director of Amazing Apprenticeships, said:
“This has been such an important piece of work for us to lead on. For the last couple of years have been working with our SEND Advisory Group of more than 100 teachers and careers advisers to create an incredible suite of resources being released today, including the ‘Amazing Apprentices: This Is My Story’ film. The group wanted to create resources that would shine a light on the different apprenticeships available – covering a range of different roles and levels, to help explain some of the different support that can be accessed in the workplace, to show happy apprentices, who are enjoying their work and being supported by their colleagues and to inspire others to really understand how apprenticeships could potentially be an option for any student to consider. I’m proud to say that this suite of resources will now inspire thousands of young people in schools across England. They will see this film, recognise themselves in it, and know that an apprenticeship is a real and exciting post-16 option for them.”
Jennifer Coupland, Chief Executive of the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education (IfATE) added:
“Days like today are a fantastic example of how things are moving forward, and it’s just the start. This fantastic film, which will be shared with schools and colleges throughout England, along with a suite of SEND resources, will inspire thousands upon thousands of students, teachers, parents, and carers about the benefits that apprenticeships offer.”
Sarah Langford, Schemes Portfolio Manager at the BBC, said
“We’re so proud to have a BBC apprentice feature in this vital and timely film – and it has been a real pleasure to host the launch event here this afternoon. Inclusivity and accessibility are absolutely central to our mission at the BBC, and we’ve been working hard to ensure that apprentices of all backgrounds are able to participate in our programmes.”
To watch the film, and to explore the engaging suite of additional resources including lesson plans, activity sheets, posters and easy-read guides, click here. You can also explore the photo gallery from the launch day itself here.