This week marks National Apprenticeship Week from Monday 9th February to Sunday 15th February 2026.
This national event is an opportunity to honour and highlight the achievements of apprentices, and share the positive impact apprenticeships can have in the workplace for employee and employer. An apprenticeship is an exciting pathway which provides hands-on training, where the apprentice gets to learn on the job while working towards a qualification. This leads to the development of valuable skills, as well as industry experience. The Department for Education’s Apprenticeship Achievements publication of 2024 showed that 84% of apprentices were satisfied with their experience upon completion of an apprenticeship; and that 36% of apprentices believed they would not be working in their current industry had it not been for the opportunity to complete an apprenticeship. This indicates that a large proportion of apprentices see the opportunity as key to entering an industry.
Meridian Trust offers apprenticeship programmes across a range of disciplines and career levels – allowing our employees to develop new skills and/or upskill at various levels. Presently, there are currently 36 apprentices working across the Trust, working in a variety of different roles and departments, in our schools and at head office.
Some examples of the types of apprenticeship currently being studied within the Trust include:
- Accountancy
- Business Administration
- Data Management
- Human Resources
- Information Technology
- Postgraduate Teaching (QTS)
- Professional Coaching
- Property Maintenance
- Software Development
- Specialist Teaching Assistant including SEND, Curriculum, Wellbeing
- And many others …
Listen to our Recruitment Lead, Tasha Lester, talking about the role of apprenticeships here at Meridian Trust.
Tasha Lester, Recruitment Lead at Meridian Trust
We have also taken the opportunity to ask some of our current apprentices about their experiences, see below.
Interested in learning more?
Find out about available apprenticeships by visiting https://www.gov.uk/apply-apprenticeship
Contact our HR team to discuss opportunities within the Trust via email centralhr@meridiantrust.co.uk
For Meridian Trust employees, we offer apprenticeships as part of your CPD (Continuous Personal Development) Programme:
Talk to your Line Manager first to discuss your options for studying towards an apprenticeship qualification.
Then, contact the Meridian Trust Recruitment Team who liaise with providers on your behalf/check eligibility and help you to find the best apprenticeship. As the apprenticeships are centrally funded by the Trust levy fund, any apprenticeship requests should be directed to recruitment@meridiantrust.co.uk