There’s never been a year quite like 2020. We’ve never all had to adapt so completely and so quickly, we’ve never had to juggle work, school and childcare for so long, and we’ve definitely never heard the word ‘unprecedented’ quite so often…

Still, it has been a remarkable and unforgettable year in lots of ways. As we wrap up 2020, we’ve been reflecting on the year here at Amazing Apprenticeships with mixed feelings. We’re sad for missing out on all the things that we thought we were going to be doing (there were some amazing plans in the pipeline!), but also incredibly proud of what we have achieved, despite the year’s unique challenges.

We couldn’t be more grateful to all of you who have supported and engaged with us this year. It’s been inspiring and heart-warming to see everyone pull together to navigate tricky waters and find innovative new ways of doing things.

We’ve learnt so many valuable lessons this year:

• We’ve connected with our audiences in ways that we couldn’t have imagined even a year ago, delivering and contributing to hundreds of webinars and online meetings, and connecting with thousands of people
• We’ve created resources on just about everything, from recycling and mindfulness to colouring sheets about washing your hands!
• We’ve developed exciting new partnerships and collaborations both nationally and internationally, connecting with likeminded people in the face of common challenges
• We’ve been working closely with employers, schools and stakeholders to understand and respond to their immediate and ever-changing challenges, and
• We’ve been able to focus on creating practical solutions to complex problems including tackling social mobility, diversity and inclusion in apprenticeships.

So, what will 2021 bring for Amazing Apprenticeships? Well, we think we’ve got a firm handle on that – there are some amazing initiatives already in motion – but if 2020 has taught us anything, it’s that it pays to keep having conversations, to collaborate wherever the opportunity arises, and to stay open to the unexpected.

Some things we know we’ll be doing next year:

• We’ll be focussing on continuing our important work to help individuals connect to the wide range of opportunities that are available and/or will be emerging
• We’ll be launching the first Genie Programme to support employers to explore, understand and be inspired to make changes to their recruitment models to drive positive social change
• We’ll continue our international work, connecting with other countries to share best practice and develop new partnerships, and
• We’ll be expanding our work, engaging even more employers and stakeholders to partner with us.

… but we’re just as excited about the things we don’t know we’ll be doing yet. We love making new connections, championing learning and collaboration, and working with partners to lead by example on issues that really matter.

So, here’s to a 2021 full of exciting new answers to the challenges that no doubt still lie ahead. See you in the New Year!

You can download the Amazing Apprenticeships Year in Review here.