On Friday March 11 2016, APHC teamed up with The Apprentice 2015 winner and APHC member Joseph Valente for a radio day to promote its latest research findings on attitudes towards apprenticeships and trade professions.
Speaking on World Plumbing Day and just before the start of National Apprenticeship Week (March 14-18), Joseph drew on his experience as a former apprentice, plumber and now plumbing employer to provide his views on some of the key issues existing around apprenticeships and training in the plumbing and heating industry. Across the course of 13 individual radio interviews, including four with regional BBC stations, the Impra Gas founder discussed the benefits of learning a trade and the need for apprenticeships to be explored in schools as an alternative to higher education, as well as dispelling some of the stigmas that still prevail around them.
In addition to the radio coverage, Joseph also appeared twice on Sky’s Morning Stories slot, and engaged on Twitter about the campaign with Lord Sugar.
John Thompson, chief executive at APHC, said: “We’re delighted with the outcome of the radio day, which has been hugely successful in promoting our message about the many advantages of learning a trade and the need to dispel outdated stigmas around apprenticeships being the poor relation of higher education. We’d like to say a huge thank you to Joseph for doing such a great job of promoting the new research and for being such a great spokesperson for our industry.”