National Apprenticeship Week 2026

This week is National Apprenticeship Week 2026 (9-15 February). We’ve been committed to apprenticeship training for many years, and we have an extensive apprenticeship provision in place. 

National Apprenticeship Week is a week-long celebration that brings together businesses and apprentices across the country to shine a light on the positive impact that apprenticeships make to individuals, businesses and the wider economy.

It is supported by the Department for Education and aligns closely with its Skills for Life campaign, which promotes government skills and training programmes for young people, adult learners and employers.

This year marks the 19th annual celebration of apprenticeships and skills and the contributions they make to businesses and communities. Employers are asked to immerse themselves in National Apprenticeship Week 2026 by sharing the good work apprentices do.

We currently have one apprentice on-staff with plans to recruit several more apprentices later in the year. Kai Rowlands is doing a Level 2 Engineering Operative Apprenticeship.

Kai said: “As my apprenticeship is a general engineering course I'm getting to experience the whole workshop, which is allowing me to identify the areas I enjoy most. I mainly work in welding but I also find myself operating the laser machine and the deburr and graining machines too. I would say my favourite place to be is in the welding bays, continuing my TIG.”

He added: “I’ve received support from the entire welding team, but our coded welder has been particularly supportive. They’ve all given me advice and shown me respect as a fellow welder. I applied for the apprenticeship at HSM because I was already working here as a labourer, which was how I discovered my love for engineering. I like that the HSM team see me as an equal despite my inexperience, making me feel comfortable and respected.”

Kai’s apprenticeship is being delivered in partnership with Chichester College. Their apprenticeship team assists us with the selection process and once an apprentice is in place, they coordinate the programme, delivering the required classroom-based training, alongside our mentoring work and on-the-job training, to get the apprentices successfully through their end point assessments.

In terms of other learning and support, we have also taken on two T-Level students from Havant & South Downs College this year. T-Levels consist of classroom-based learning accompanied by set hours to be completed at a workplace. Ryan Morgan and Boston Sharkey will be with us for two weeks this month and another two weeks in June, observing and learning a range of basic metal fabrication skills.

Boston said: “Great experience working at Havant Sheet Metal. They are kind and helpful, showing me unique engineering practices and skills, helping me gain lots of experience in a short space of time. I would highly recommend doing an apprenticeship here!"

Apprenticeship benefits

Apprenticeships are a great way to recruit and retain high-quality staff as it enables us to identify and select people who are keen to kick-start a career in sheet metal fabrication. Apprenticeship programmes allow us to provide an in-depth programme of training to our apprentices, equipping them with all the skills they need to build their careers, whilst providing us with great operatives.

Our apprentices benefit from in-depth, on the job training, a dedicated on-site mentor who will provide support, and off-site training which will lead to qualifications that will look great on their CV. Apprentices earn a wage from the day they start - promoting earning whilst learning - and upon completion of the programme apprentices will be confident and competent in their chosen discipline.

Growth & Skills Levy

The Apprenticeship Levy was initiated by the UK government in April 2017. From April 2026 it is being reformed and more commonly referred to as the new Growth & Skills Levy, which broadens how levy funds can be used to support skills training and workforce development. These reforms will introduce greater flexibility for employers to use levy contributions to fund a wider range of training options beyond traditional apprenticeship programmes, including shorter “units” and foundation apprenticeships under the Growth & Skills Levy framework.

Employers with an annual pay bill of more than £3 million must pay 0.5 % of their total UK payroll each year as a levy tax; this is reported and paid monthly via PAYE. Funds collected go into a digital account that employers can use to invest in training. The basic levy threshold and rate remain unchanged under the reforms.

Smaller organisations with an annual payroll below £3 million do not pay the levy. They can access government funding for apprenticeships: currently, government funding covers most of the training costs for non-levy paying employers. From April 2026, training and assessment costs for apprentices under 25 employed by non-levy paying employers will be fully funded by the government (removing the previous 5% employer contribution), while standard rules continue for apprentices aged 25 and over (employer typically contributing 5% of training costs).

There is no limit to the number of employees an SME can upskill through government-funded apprenticeships or Growth & Skills Levy funding, subject to eligibility and funding rules. The government has also introduced reforms to apprenticeship funding rules for 2025–26 to increase flexibility and support broader training use.

Get in touch to enquire about apprenticeship opportunities with us - we’d love to hear from you.

 

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