The British Beer & Pub Association (BBPA) has supported the Pub and Bar Careers Group at a Parliamentary showcase of apprenticeships.

This provided MPs with the opportunity to hear first-hand from apprentices working in the beer and pub sector, and to learn more about industry plans to grow our own talent.

The event, part of National Apprenticeship Week, saw some 70 MPs participating in a range of fun activities designed to showcase the range of skills required to work in the beer and pub sector.

Pub employers including Fuller’s, Everards, Butcombe Brewery, Beds and Bars, Greene King and Mitchells and Butlers were joined by Brewhouse and Kitchen and the BBPA in promoting their brewery apprenticeship trailblazer.

Engagement

The number of new apprentices has soared in recent years, with 165,000 people starting apprenticeships in hospitality and catering in the last five years. Apprenticeships are an important part of the beer and pub sector and the BBPA has long supported events such as this which enable our sector to engage with MPs on the relevant issues and opportunities for apprentices.

Apprenticeships add enormous value to brewing and pubs, and the BBPA recently supported the development of a new Apprenticeship Trailblazer for brewers. Development of this Trailblazer scheme has been led by Brewhouse and Kitchen, which chairs an Employer Group consisting of breweries from across the sector.

The Brewing Apprenticeship Trailblazer is currently being considered by the Institute for Apprenticeships. If accepted the Trailblazer could provide a new exciting educational route for the brewers of the future. 

BBPA chief executive, Brigid Simmonds, said: “It’s never been more important for the industry to grow its own talent, and apprenticeships are a critical element of our strategy to recruit and retain the talent we need to support future growth of the sector.”