The European Alliance for Apprenticeships (EAfA) has launched a new online training module designed to serve as a practical guide to communicating apprenticeships to learners and companies. This is the ninth in a series of training modules designed by the Alliance.

Offering high-quality and effective apprenticeships to young learners and adult learners has significant individual and social benefits, and it also benefits the companies offering them. To ensure that the benefits of apprenticeships are known to learners and companies, they need to be effectively communicated.

EAfA’s ninth online training module provides an overview of the features of attractive apprenticeships and serves as a collection of ideas, practices and examples related to communicating apprenticeships to different target groups. The training module is open to anyone interested in promoting apprenticeships. It is particularly relevant to policymakers, vocational education and training providers, social partners, schools, employers, and youth and parents’ organisations.

The module will include three units:

• Features of attractive apprenticeships: In this unit, you will learn about the relevance and benefits of apprenticeships and about the general features of attractive apprenticeships.
• Considerations for communicating apprenticeships: Here you will learn about designing a communication strategy, including how to define the key messages, identify target groups, and choose communication channels.
• Communicating apprenticeships to learners and companies: In this unit, you will learn about different ways of approaching learners (e.g. young and adult learners) and companies. The unit also contains specific examples.

How to participate

Click here to begin this module.

The module takes around 30 minutes to complete. Upon completion, you will obtain a certificate of achievement.

About the content creators

Simon Broek is a senior expert in vocational education and training (VET) and adult learning, and director of Ockham IPS. Over the last decade and a half, he has been involved in many national, European and international research projects and evaluations related to education, training, and labour market issues for the European Commission, Cedefop, the European Training Foundation, UNESCO and the International Labour Organization. Simon is also an external consultant at the EEA2030 Working Group on Adult Learning and a senior expert for the European Commission's Apprenticeship Support Services and the Pact for Skills. Furthermore, Simon is involved in several Cedefop and ETF projects on the future of VET, comparing qualifications, and developing a lifelong learning system. His background is in philosophy.

Gerben Hospers is a policy researcher at Ockham IPS, based in the Netherlands. He has been involved in research and evaluations in the area of education, internationalisation, aggression and violence for the European Commission, Cedefop, UNESCO, DAAD, UNEVOC and various Dutch clients. Gerben is involved in studies for Cedefop in the field of VET and adult learning. In this, he studies the role of initial-VET providers in offering continuous training for adults. He also has knowledge of the ever-changing European labour market and reforms to battle unemployment. For UNEVOC, he reviewed the UNESCO-UNEVOC Network. Furthermore, Gerben is involved in the evaluation of cross-border learning centres promoting German and Germany studies. Gerben currently evaluates the European Qualifications Framework. His background is in history and archaeology.

Previous training modules

Module 1: Understanding apprenticeships in the EU

Module 2: Critical success factors for apprenticeships in the EU

Module 3: How to join the European Alliance for Apprenticeships

Module 4: Supporting in-company trainers in SMEs

Module 5: Involvement of social partners

Module 6: Going digital in apprenticeships

Module 7: Apprenticeships: A first choice for all?

Module 8: Greening apprenticeships - the role of apprenticeships in the green transition