National Apprenticeship Week 2026

Friday 13 February

Skilled employees are the backbone of London’s economy, and apprenticeships offer a powerful way for employers to attract, develop and retain the talent they need to thrive. At LCCI, we’re proud to champion skills development across the capital through our Skills Programme and Committee, supported by Programme Partner Capital City College.

National Apprenticeship Week (NAW) is the biggest celebration of apprenticeships and skills in the calendar and returned last week for its 19th year. NAW showcases how apprenticeships and skills:

Open doors to exciting and rewarding careers
Help businesses build future‑ready workforces
Support economic growth by tackling priority skills gaps

To celebrate National Apprenticeship Week, LCCI Women in Business Advisory Chair Abby Ghafoor OBE, Head of Partnerships Stuart Pick, Stakeholder Engagement Manager Cathy Scott and Partnership Development Manager Kate Elliott, attended several NAW events hosted by our Patron Members. Each event highlighted how business and education can work together to bridge London’s skills gap.

The week began with a visit to the Harrow, Richmond & Uxbridge Colleges (HRUC) ‘Preparing for Future Careers through Apprenticeships and Higher Education’ workshop, hosted in HRUC’s state‑of‑the‑art immersive room at Uxbridge College. The event brought together employers, training providers, universities and apprentices to discuss how we can collectively shape stronger career pathways for students. Discussions focused on what is currently working well across the sector, as well as where communication and collaboration can be strengthened to ensure students have meaningful access to future‑proof careers.

HRUC Workshop

Later in the week LCCI joined an engaging Women in STEM: Engineering and Rail apprenticeships event at Capital City College's Enfield campus. We heard from engineering apprentices and toured the college’s railway carriage and practical construction classrooms. With a focus on women and girls in STEM, female employers in the construction and railway engineering sector discussed top tips, workforce disparities and the challenges that remain.

Capital City College STEM event

On Wednesday 11 February, we were delighted to attend Capital City College’s NAW Employer Breakfast. The event explored how employers and providers can work more closely to address skills shortages and expand apprenticeship opportunities for the next generation of talent.

Capital City College NAW Employer Breakfast

To find out more about LCCI’s Skills Programme and how we support London businesses, please click here.