South Thames Colleges Group supports National Apprenticeship Week 2026

South Thames Colleges Group are celebrating the 19th National Apprenticeship Week (#NAW2026), by hosting a variety of events across each of our four Colleges. These include an Employer Fair, Apprenticeship Information Evening, Guest Talks, Employer Site Visits, Information Advice & Guidance Workshop on CVs and Apprenticeships, NAW Innovation Challenge. These activities are aimed at supporting learners to explore pathways that combine real-job experience with education. 

Employer Partners

We work closely with a fantastic range of employers to run our Apprenticeship courses. They provide apprentices and learners with the opportunity to take the next step in their skills journey. Many of our employer partners attended our Employer Fair, where our 16+ students had the chance to speak with them directly to find out about the Apprenticeship roles on offer.  

Celebrating our Apprentices 

The hard work of our amazing apprentices has also been celebrated across social media. Level 3 Laboratory Technician apprentice Faisal recently completed his Apprenticeship with a Distinction, all while working within the world-class research environment at Imperial College London. His journey shows how Apprenticeships can open doors to competitive STEM careers by combining hands-on experience with structured learning. 

Faisal says: “I had held an interest in pursuing a STEM related career, particularly Pharmaceuticals and research around drug discovery. Coming across an opportunity to be educated and develop in my field of interest while also earning and supporting myself financially was a prime opportunity for me. 

I had struggled to balance work and coursework previously, so it was important for me to find a balance between the two to make the most of the opportunity. Treating work activity as an opportunity to exercise the learning from my coursework and find links between my learning and my work was also helpful in making sure it never felt as though one clashed with the other. Achieving a Distinction was affirming as it reflected to me the effort I had put into both work and study and showed me that there was worth to committing to my learning and work activity as best I could. 

The plan for me now is to try to establish myself in the next few early roles as a technician as best as I can and pursue opportunities for further qualification through small technical certifications and potentially a further Apprenticeship or return to university at some point in the future. Long-term, the goal for me is to work in Lab management roles.”

If you’re interested in finding out how Apprenticeships can help you take the next step in your careers journey, visit our website for information https://stcg.ac.uk/apprenticeships