10 February 2026
If you’ve ever spoken to someone who’s been through an apprenticeship, you’ll know there’s something special about the experience. Apprenticeships don’t just teach skills, they build confidence, open doors, and help people discover what they’re truly capable of.
At Skills and Education Group, we’re proud to be part of that journey. As an Awarding Organisation and End-point Assessment (EPA) provider, we support apprentices, employers, and training providers every step of the way. This month, we’re celebrating everything apprenticeships stand for and the people who make them possible.
So, grab a cuppa, and let’s talk about how we’re shaping futures together.
Creating a Supportive Apprenticeship Journey
We understand that the EPA and apprenticeship process can sometimes feel overwhelming, especially for new providers or apprentices who prefer hands-on learning. That’s why our approach is simple, supportive, friendly, and human.
Here’s what working with our EPA team looks like:
- Dedicated EPA Officers guide providers through onboarding, gateway readiness, and assessment scheduling, offering clear communication throughout.
- We use ACE360 to ensure everything runs smoothly, from booking assessments to releasing results.
- Our team takes the time to explain EPA requirements, assessment methods, reasonable adjustments, and everything in between.
- We collaborate internally to ensure compliance, consistency, and quality.
- Providers receive comprehensive onboarding training, including support for using ACE360 and XAMS.
- Each standard includes guides, support documents, mock questions, and sample exams to help apprentices prepare with confidence.
- Our Independent End-Point Assessors (IEPAs) work directly with employers, training providers, and apprentices during planning meetings so everyone understands the process.
All of this means no one is ever left guessing, and everyone feels supported from start to finish.
Our Most Popular EPA Standards This Year
Across Skills and Education Group Awards and BIIAB, we’re proud to offer a wide range of apprenticeship standards, and some have really stood out over the past year.
BIIAB – Top 5 Most Popular Apprenticeships
- Commis Chef
- Hospitality Supervisor
- Hospitality Manager
- Production Chef
- Business Administrator
Skills and Education Group Awards– Top 5 Most Popular Apprenticeships
- Youth Support Worker
- Urban Driver
- Textile Manufacturing Operative
- Sewing Machinist
- Footwear Manufacturer
The variety here reflects what we love most about our work: every day brings a new industry, a new challenge, and a new learner whose journey we have the pleasure to support.
A Real Success Story: Growing Careers Through Apprenticeships
Nothing brings the apprenticeship experience to life more than hearing from those who’ve actually walked the path. At Skills and Education Group, several of our own colleagues began their careers as apprentices, and their journeys highlight the impact apprenticeships can have.
Zach’s Journey: Building a Career Through Apprenticeships
Zach, now a valued member of our marketing team, joined Skills and Education Group through a Level 3 Multi-Channel Marketing apprenticeship. Their experience shows how apprenticeships can unlock potential, build confidence, and lead to meaningful career progression:
“I completed a Level 3 Multi-Channel Marketing apprenticeship, which gave me a career I genuinely love and one that really works with the way I think. It also gave me an incredible team and an organisation I truly believe in, somewhere I feel supported, valued, and like I’m making a real difference.
I’ve been with Skills and Education Group for around a year and seven months, and since completing my apprenticeship, I’ve grown massively in confidence and experience. I became a Multicultural Apprenticeship Awards finalist, took on the role of Marketing Advisor for the East Midlands Apprenticeship Ambassador Network, attended a wide range of events and conferences, and appeared on a podcast and on our own channels.
The apprenticeship gave me a strong foundation in marketing, allowing me to now focus on areas I’m most passionate about. I’m progressing onto a Level 4 apprenticeship with Baltic, where I’ll be specialising in videography and photography, a part of marketing I really love. Overall, my apprenticeship has given me the skills, knowledge, confidence, and team that have helped shape a career I’m excited to continue growing in.”
Zach’s experience highlights the power of apprenticeships to inspire growth, build skills, and open pathways to careers that truly fit each individual.
Ben’s Journey: From Apprentice to IT Manager
Ben completed his Level 3 and Level 4 IT apprenticeships with Skills and Education Group, gaining the hands‑on, practical learning environment they needed to thrive. The real-world experience they built from day one helped build his confidence and develop the skills essential to his progression. Thirteen years on, the organisation’s continued support, through training, development, and encouragement, has played a key role in his journey from Apprentice to IT Manager.
“Completing my Level 3 and Level 4 IT apprenticeships gave me the practical, hands-on learning style I needed after struggling with classroom-based education. The apprenticeships allowed me to build real experience from day one, growing my confidence and helping me develop the technical and professional skills needed to progress.
Over the past 13 years, Skills and Education Group have continued to support me, not only through ongoing training and development, but also by encouraging my career aspirations. That support has played a significant part in my journey from Apprentice to IT Manager.”
Ben’s journey shows how apprenticeships can provide the practical, hands
Melody’s Journey: From Apprentice to Head of Relationships and Memberships
Melody joined Skills and Education Group in 2014 through a Level 3 Business and Administration apprenticeship, which provided invaluable hands-on experience. Supported by a workplace that invested in her growth, she progressed rapidly, from Customer Support Assistant to Head of Relationships and Membership in just 11 years. Their journey shows how real-world experience and a development-focused culture can accelerate career progression and build lasting confidence.
“I completed an apprenticeship with Chesterfield College as an Events and Administration Assistant. I did a L3 Business and Administration Apprenticeship in 2014. Since then, I've moved from Customer Support Assistant, Customer Support Officer, Business Development Executive, Business Development Manager, Relationship Manager, and Senior Relationship Manager through to Head of Relationships and Membership, all in 11 years. I had already gone to Manchester Met Uni to study events management, but decided after a few months that I wasn't sure it was the right path for me. I reapplied to Nottingham Trent University to study Sports Science and also explored apprenticeship opportunities at the same time. The apprenticeship at Skills and Education Group came up, and I chose that over the NTU place, as I had already tried the university route, I wanted to give the apprenticeship a try. If I'm honest, I wouldn't say it was the apprenticeship that made any difference to my career development, I think it was more the workplace experience that allowed me to grow.
My apprenticeship at Skills and Education Group opened the door to hands on experience that has been invaluable to me and my development. From day one, I was given the chance to learn directly from experienced colleagues and supported by an organisation that invested in my progression. The organisation continued to develop me long after my apprenticeship ended, offering opportunities to build my confidence, take on new challenges, and grow into each successive role. The combination of real world experience, continuous support, and a workplace culture that champions development has played a huge part in helping me progress so quickly and achieve the career I have today"
Together, these journeys show how apprenticeships, combined with supportive, development-focused workplaces, can unlock potential, build confidence, and create clear pathways to long-term success. When people are given real opportunities to learn, grow, and thrive, they’re able to build futures they can truly be proud of.
Why Apprenticeships Matter to Us
Skills and Education Group has always believed in the power of education to transform lives, especially for those who may not have felt at home in traditional classrooms or who come from backgrounds where opportunities can be harder to access.
Apprenticeships create real-world learning.
They build confidence.
They unlock careers.
Our role is simply to guide, support, and champion every learner along the way.
Let’s Keep Building Futures Together
Whether you’re a training provider wanting to strengthen your EPA experience, an employer considering taking on an apprentice, or a learner exploring your next step, we’re here to help.
Apprenticeships aren’t just qualifications, they’re journeys.
And we’re proud to walk alongside every person who takes that first step.
Check out our EPAs here.
