Feeling nervous before an assessment, exam, presentation, or professional discussion is completely normal. The good news is that there are lots of simple things you can do to feel more confident and perform at your best. Here are some top tips for success.

Plan ahead

Reasonable Adjustments

If you have a learning difficulty, disability, health condition, mental health need, or require additional support during your assessment, please speak to your Skills Coach or Learner Progress Adviser as early as possible.

Revision, Memory Aids and Study Tips

Create a realistic revision or preparation timetable and break tasks into manageable chunks. Avoid last-minute cramming where possible.

Everyone learns differently, so try a range of techniques and find what works best for you to make information easier to remember:

• Break information into smaller sections rather than trying to learn everything at once.
• Use colours, diagrams, mind maps or visual prompts to organise information.
• Create flashcards with key facts, definitions or questions and test yourself regularly.
• Use acronyms, rhymes or memory cues to help remember important points.
• Explain what you have learned to a friend, family member or colleague. Teaching someone else is a great way to check your understanding.

Minimise Distractions

When revising or preparing for an assessment:

Put your phone on silent or use “Do Not Disturb” mode, study in a quiet space where possible and turn off unnecessary notifications.

Consider studying in short, focused blocks (for example, 25-30 minutes followed by a short break).

Practice Retrieval

Rather than repeatedly reading your notes, challenge yourself to recall information from memory. Cover your notes and try to write down everything you can remember before checking what you missed.

Use Real-Life Examples

Link learning to your workplace experiences wherever possible. Thinking of practical examples can help you remember information and provide useful evidence during professional discussions or assessments. You can find further revision resources on Onefile.

Before the Assessment

• Give yourself plenty of time to get ready.
• Make sure you have eaten and had something to drink.
• Avoid staying up late revising the night before.
• If possible, take some light exercise beforehand to help reduce tension and improve concentration.

Tips for Online Presentations

Many learners feel nervous about presenting online, but preparation and practice can make a big difference.

Before the Presentation

Test your technology in advance, including your internet connection, camera, microphone and presentation slides, and familiarise yourself with the platform you will be using (Teams, Zoom or other software).

Make sure your technology is fully charged!

Practise your presentation out loud several times, ideally in front of someone else.

During the Presentation

• Log in 10 minutes early to ensure everything is working correctly.
• Speak slowly and clearly, taking pauses between points – silence for a few seconds often feels longer to you than it does to your audience.
• Look at the camera where possible to create eye contact.
• Keep a glass of water nearby.
• If you lose your train of thought, pause, take a breath and continue. It is perfectly acceptable to gather your thoughts before answering.
• Remember that assessors want you to succeed and are interested in hearing about your experiences and achievements.

Keep Things in Perspective

One assessment does not define your future.

Focus on what you can control: preparation, effort and attitude.

Avoid comparing yourself with other learners.

Recognise the progress you have already made to reach this stage.

Manage Unhelpful Thoughts

If you find yourself thinking: “I’m going to fail” try replacing it with: “I’ve prepared as well as I can and I will do my best.”

Physical and Emotional Preparation

• Take regular breaks
• Short breaks improve concentration and reduce stress. Make time to do things you enjoy alongside your studies.
• Look after your body – get enough sleep, eat regular meals, stay hydrated and keep active.

Exercise and Movement

Gentle exercise such as walking, stretching or cycling can reduce stress and improve mood. Even five to ten minutes of activity helps release tension and improve focus.

Handling Stress and Anxiety

Feeling worried before an assessment is normal, but there are ways to manage these feelings.

If you feel stressed, try slow breathing exercises, mindfulness techniques or talking to someone you trust. Remember that some nerves are normal and can help keep you focused.

Breathing Technique

Try the 4-4-4 method:

Breathe in slowly for 4 seconds.

Hold your breath for 4 seconds.

Breathe out slowly for 4 seconds.

Repeat several times.

This can help slow your heart rate and reduce feelings of anxiety.

Feeling Overwhelmed? Try the 5-4-3-2-1 Technique. Notice:

• 5 things you can see
• 4 things you can touch
• 3 things you can hear
• 2 things you can smell
• 1 thing you can taste

This simple grounding exercise can help bring your attention back to the present moment and reduce feelings of anxiety.

Managing Presentation Nerves

Focus on sharing information rather than trying to be perfect.

Remind yourself that you know your own work better than anyone else.

Use positive self-talk such as “I have prepared for this.” “I am capable of doing this.”

“I only need to do my best.”

Remember

Assessments, professional discussions and presentations are not designed to catch you out. They are opportunities to demonstrate the knowledge, skills and behaviours you have already developed through your learning and work. Trust your preparation, use examples from your own experiences, take your time, and remember that your assessor wants to see you succeed.

If Things Don’t Go to Plan

If you make a mistake, keep going. Most assessors are interested in your overall knowledge and competence, not perfection.

If you don’t understand a question, ask for it to be repeated or rephrased.

If technology causes problems during an online assessment, remain calm and contact your assessor as soon as possible.

If an assessment doesn’t go as well as you hoped, think about what you have learned from the experience and discuss next steps with your tutor or assessor. Every assessment is also a learning experience that helps you grow in confidence and capability for the future.

Need immediate support with stress or mental health?

SHOUT: Text 85258 – Shout: The UK’s free, confidential, 24/7 mental health text service | Shout 85258.

NHS 111: Select option 2 for mental health support.

Mind: A mental health charity that provides advice, support and advocacy for people experiencing mental health problems across England and Wales.

At first glance, a potato might seem like an unusual conversation starter at a service design conference.

But at this year’s SDinGov, a simple question sparked dozens of conversations:

What’s your Potato Idea?

At SDinGov 2026, that question sparked dozens of conversations and a surprising collection of ideas from public sector professionals, service designers and change-makers.

The idea comes from a simple story. A community needed a way to help a child with mobility challenges build hand grip strength. Rather than purchasing specialist equipment, they used something they already had: a potato.

By placing a spoon handle into the potato, they created a larger, easier-to-grip surface. As the child’s strength improved, the potato became smaller until it was no longer needed.

Simple. Practical. Effective.

Not the biggest project. Not the most expensive solution. Just one small change that solves a real problem.

That’s a Potato Idea.

What is a Potato Idea?

A Potato Idea is a small, achievable improvement that can have a surprisingly big impact.

It’s the form that’s rewritten in plain English. The unnecessary approval that’s removed. The conversation that happens earlier. The everyday frustration that’s finally fixed.

These ideas are often overlooked because they’re not flashy or headline-grabbing.

Yet they’re frequently the things that make the biggest difference to people’s day-to-day experiences.

As ideas were gathered, a clear theme began to emerge.

Many focused on removing barriers, improving communication and helping people participate more fully in the services and organisations around them.

Interestingly, the conference itself reflected many of those same principles.

Service Design Tutor Sumita Kunashakaran later reflected on some of the thoughtful details that helped make the event more inclusive:

LEGO on tables to support different ways of thinking and engaging, communication stickers that helped people share how they preferred to interact, gender-neutral facilities, a dedicated prayer and reflection space, and a giant communal jigsaw puzzle that created opportunities for connection without the pressure of introductions or small talk.

None of these ideas were particularly complicated.

Yet each recognised an important truth: people learn, communicate, process information and participate differently.

And that’s what struck us most. Building inclusion doesn’t always require grand gestures. Sometimes it’s a quiet room. Sometimes it’s something to do with your hands. Sometimes it’s creating opportunities for people to connect in ways that feel comfortable to them.

In many ways, that’s what service design is all about.

We expected process improvement. We got culture.

Looking back at the responses, one finding stood out above all others:

We expected process improvement. We got culture.

Going into the activity, it would have been easy to assume people would talk about systems, technology, automation or large-scale transformation.

Instead, the ideas repeatedly centred on communication, inclusion, accessibility, learning, listening and decision-making.

The strongest suggestions weren’t necessarily about changing systems. They were about improving people’s experiences within those systems.

That’s an important lesson for organisations of all sizes.

When we think about improvement, it’s easy to jump straight to technology, processes and new tools. Yet many of the barriers people experience every day are cultural rather than technical. They stem from communication gaps, inaccessible environments, unclear expectations or simply not being asked for their perspective.

The Potato Ideas reminded us that meaningful change often starts with understanding people.

What employers can learn

For employers, the findings offer several practical lessons.

Small changes can create significant impact

Not every improvement requires a transformation programme, substantial investment or a complete redesign of existing processes. Some of the most effective changes are simple, practical and inexpensive to implement.

Your people often know what needs fixing

The individuals closest to a service or process are usually the first to spot barriers, frustrations and opportunities for improvement. Creating space for those ideas can uncover valuable insights that might otherwise be missed.

Inclusion is built through everyday decisions

Many of the examples that resonated most strongly during SDinGov weren’t expensive initiatives. They were thoughtful adjustments that helped more people participate, contribute and succeed.

Culture matters

The Potato Ideas showed that communication, belonging, accessibility and feeling listened to aren’t “nice to haves”. They shape how people experience organisations, services and workplaces every day.

These are exactly the kinds of challenges Service Designers help organisations address.

Through our Level 6 Service Designer apprenticeship, professionals develop the skills to understand user needs, identify opportunities for improvement and design services that work better for the people who use them.

Our Service Designer apprentices have worked across organisations including HM Revenue & Customs, Birmingham City Council, Devon County Council, Dorset Council, the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea and North Yorkshire Council, putting those skills into practice in real working environments.

What happens next?

What started as a conference activity became a conversation starter, a collection of ideas and ultimately the Potato Ideas Report.

More importantly, it opened up a wider conversation about how organisations create change and how ideas get heard.

The challenge now isn’t just collecting Potato Ideas. It’s putting them into practice.

Because meaningful change doesn’t always begin with a major project.

Sometimes it starts with one removed barrier.

One more meaningful conversation.

One small improvement.

One Potato Idea.

Why not ask your team: What’s your Potato Idea?

The people closest to the work are often the first to spot what could be improved.

We’d love to hear the ideas that emerge.

FAQs

Sources:
SDinGov 2026 Conference – insights, presentations and discussions on service design, inclusive design and public sector innovation.
The Potato Ideas Report – collection of “potato ideas” gathered and shared during SDinGov 2026, highlighting small changes that can create meaningful impact.

A fantastic evening at our 2nd annual JGA Group Bootcamp Film Alumni Awards on Wednesday 30th September at the London Canal Museum. It was one of those evenings that reminds us why we run these programmes. Seeing learners return, reconnect with mentors and celebrate how far they’ve come after intensive creative training was genuinely special.

Awards

We were proud to present the Best Picture Award for the top overall music video production, with four teams across different cohorts recognised for their outstanding storytelling and high‑quality filmmaking.

Each team took home certificates and their own mini Oscar statues for work that genuinely impressed everyone in the room.

In no particular order, the winners were: Cliff of Coleraine – Chris & Manoj’s team, Shine Your Light – Chris & Manoj’s team, Blinder – Simon & Ellis’ team, Sleep – Nathalia & Billy’s team.

A huge thank‑you to the Greater London Authority and Hertfordshire Futures for funding the bootcamps and to our mentors – Chris Skarratt, Manoj Gohil, Simon Poon Tip, Jon Holloway, Nathalia Syam, Ellis Gilbert and Billy Abbott – for everything you pour into our learners.

Screening

If you wanted to watch the screening, the full playlist is live on our YouTube with timestamps in the description for each music video: Film Alumni Screening 2026.

Thank you as well to our learners, Tom Clark and Cat for capturing the evening – we’ll be sharing a highlights video soon. Stay tuned and follow our JGA socials for when it goes live.

Relive the special moments from the evening by watching the highlights video below.

FAQs

The new Government Procurement Policy Notice PPN 026, published 5 August, places apprenticeships even more firmly at the heart of social value.

From 1 January 2027, any central government procurement worth £1m+ will have 10% of scoring (20% for contracts £5m+) allocated to social value initiatives related to employment opportunities and learning and development activities.

The PPN shifts focus from a wider set of social outcomes to prioritising British jobs, skills, and opportunities for people facing barriers to employment in our local communities.

In‑scope organisations must choose one of two delivery outcomes, each with its own award criteria:

Outcome 1: Good jobs, fair pay and fair working conditions
This outcome focuses on helping people get into work, stay in work, and progress in their careers.
Award criteria include: creating or retaining high‑quality jobs, providing fair working conditions, and ensuring fair pay.

Outcome 2: Addressing skills shortages and widening access to skills development
This outcome prioritises training and development, particularly for people who face barriers to employment or struggle to enter the labour market.
Award criteria include: providing training (including apprenticeships), supporting in‑work progression, and building talent pipelines that give young people – especially those facing barriers – clear routes into apprenticeships and other development opportunities.

The new PPN also places greater emphasis on reporting against KPIs, requiring reporting on the social value KPI at least once every 12 months.

Full guidance will be published in the autumn, and it is expected that the guidance will focus particularly on addressing opportunities for those not in employment, education or training (NEETs); those transitioning from education to employment; those with a long-term health condition or disability; care leavers; and other communities that face barriers to employment. We will identify target skills related to skills shortages.

Entry-level apprenticeships such as Business Administrator, Event Co-ordinator, Multi-Channel Marketer and Content Creator can all provide excellent skills development and employment opportunities for young people to start their careers. Specialist apprenticeships such as Service Designer, Sustainability and Social Impact Practitioner, and Marketing Manager help in-work progression, staff retention and improve service quality.

Apprenticeship training is free to larger organisations and at a 95% discount to smaller companies. The business must set aside a minimum of six hours per week for study time for formal seminar sessions and learning activities. 86% of employers said apprenticeships helped them develop skills relevant to their organisation. Apprenticeships also support diversity. There is extra funding from the government to train neurodiverse apprentices and those with physical disabilities. According to the government, over 20 years the proportion of people of black, Asian and mixed ethnicity apprentices has trebled. People of black and mixed race heritage are apprentices at double their proportion in the population as a whole.

The HR/L&D functions of many large organisations are only too pleased to receive creative ideas from functional teams about ways to spend the levy – if it isn’t spent then it is lost to the company and at present, HM Treasury is holding nearly £800 million of unspent levy funds!

With the right planning now, suppliers to government can use apprenticeships to meet these requirements and create meaningful opportunities for the people and communities who need them most.

Choosing an apprenticeship provider

You can search the full range of apprenticeships available on the Skills England website. The GOV.UK website will then help you find a suitable apprenticeship provider.

JGA Group is an Ofsted Outstanding training provider, priding ourselves on our high-quality and inclusive programmes. Our range of apprenticeship solutions for marketing and sales teams is one of the most comprehensive in the country. JGA skills coaches and tutors are not just teachers. They are professionals with current experience in the role, often maintaining a portfolio of consulting positions alongside their training/coaching responsibilities.

90% of employers and 95% of apprentices this year rank us Excellent or Good!

Looking to recruit or upskill within your company?

To find out more about apprenticeships, speak to our helpful team: sales@jga-group.co.uk

FAQs

Sources:
UK Government – Procurement Policy Note 026/24, published 5 August 2024, outlining new social value requirements for central government contracts from January 2027.
Skills England – official directory of approved apprenticeship standards across all sectors. Gov.uk – guidance on selecting and registering with approved apprenticeship training providers.
Department for Education – employer research on apprenticeship impact, skills development and workforce outcomes.
UK Government – Apprenticeship Diversity Data, including participation trends for neurodiverse, disabled and ethnic‑minority apprentices.
FEWEEK – Apprenticeships budget top-up piles cost pressure on ministers (2026)

CJ Associates’ new report, Key Insights 5: Securing Social Impact & Community Benefit, representing the views of developers, consultants, contractors, local authorities and infrastructure owners, discusses how can projects move beyond commitments and deliver meaningful outcomes; how can communities play a greater role in shaping priorities and defining success and how should social impact and community benefit be measured, governed and embedded throughout the project lifecycle.

“Current approaches can become procurement or compliance‑led.” (70% of contributors raised this concern.)

In other words: social impact risks becoming a tick‑box exercise rather than a driver of meaningful change.

For anyone working in sustainability, social value or community development, that challenge feels familiar. The report makes it clear that while the sector now accepts the importance of social impact, the real question is how we embed it into everyday delivery — not just strategy documents or procurement frameworks.

What the Research Tells Us

Across interviews with 30 industry leaders, several themes emerged that should make all of us pause:

• Ambition often outpaces delivery. Commitments made at planning stage can fade once projects move into procurement and construction.
• Communities shape better decisions. Early engagement and lived experience must inform priorities, not assumptions.
• Trust is a delivery issue. Transparency and long‑term relationships matter more than perfect consultation plans.
• Measurement needs to evolve. Frameworks and monetised KPIs don’t always reflect what communities actually experience.
• Social impact must be a core discipline. Not an add‑on, not a compliance requirement — but part of how projects are conceived, governed and delivered.

One line from the report captures this perfectly:

“Focus on outcomes, not activity.”

It’s a reminder that counting workshops, funding pots or volunteer hours is not the same as creating lasting change.

A JGA Perspective: Building Capability for Real Impact

A particular thank you goes to Phil de Montmorency, who contributed his expertise to the research. Phil also leads delivery of JGA Group’s Sustainability & Social Impact Practitioner (Level 4) apprenticeship — a programme built around the very challenges highlighted in the report.

The apprenticeship is designed for people who want to move beyond compliance and develop the capability to:

• Understand community needs.
• Design evidence‑based interventions.
• Measure meaningful outcomes.
• Embed social impact into organisational decision‑making.
• Deliver long‑term, place‑based value.

It’s rooted in community development practice and focused on real‑world delivery — exactly the shift CJ Associates argues the sector needs.

A Sector‑Wide Question

CJ Associates end the report with a challenge that feels increasingly urgent:

“The opportunity now is to turn ambition into everyday practice.”

So here’s our question to the sector:

Do current social value and impact measures tell us what really matters – or just what’s easiest to count?

Sector bodies such as Social Value UK offer recognised principles and guidance to help organisations measure social value more meaningfully.

For organisations working in the built environment, the UK Green Building Council (UKGBC) provides practical resources on delivering social value within infrastructure and construction projects.

We’d love to hear from practitioners, local authorities, contractors, consultants and anyone working to deliver social impact on the ground. What needs to change? What’s working? And how do we collectively move from good intentions to real impact?

FAQs

Sources:
CJ Associates – Securing Social Impact & Community Benefit (2026), industry research based on interviews with 30 infrastructure leaders and practitioners.
JGA Group – Sustainability & Social Impact Practitioner (Level 4), apprenticeship programme focused on practical delivery of social value and community impact.
CJ Associates – Planning, stakeholder engagement and programme advisory for nationally significant infrastructure projects.
Social Value UK – sector guidance on social value principles, measurement and reporting.
UK Green Building Council (UKGBC) – resources on social value in the built environment and infrastructure delivery.

For April Jones, education wasn’t always a positive experience.

Following the COVID-19 pandemic, her anxiety increased significantly, making it increasingly difficult to attend school. At the time, she also had undiagnosed autism and ADHD, meaning she wasn’t receiving the support she needed to succeed.

As her attendance declined, so did her confidence.

Despite always enjoying learning, achieving strong academic results and being determined to do well, April reached a point where school no longer felt like a place where she could thrive.

“I felt hopeless and didn’t see a point in going to school because I wasn’t getting the support I needed.”

April later moved to home education, where she successfully achieved her Functional Skills Level 2 qualifications in English and Maths. She then attempted to return to mainstream education by enrolling on a Health and Social Care course at a mainstream college, but after spending so long away from education, she found the environment overwhelming and struggled to cope.

Everything changed when she joined JGA’s 16–18 Study Programme.

Enrolling on JGA’s Level 2 Health and Social Care course, April found an inclusive and supportive environment where she felt understood. With personalised support from staff, she rebuilt her confidence, rediscovered her motivation and began taking pride in her studies once again.

Her hard work and determination have led to outstanding results. April achieved top marks on her NCFE CACHE Level 2 Certificate in Health and Social Care and completed more than 140 hours of work experience, gaining valuable practical skills alongside her studies.

Reflecting on her experience, April said:

“JGA’s 16–18 Study Programme has genuinely changed my life, and my future, in the best way possible. The staff at Princess Park proved to me that all I needed was the right support in an inclusive environment and the opportunity to learn.”

Alongside her studies, April completed more than 140 hours of work experience, gaining valuable practical experience and building her confidence in the workplace. Through placements at Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) camps and opportunities to engage with organisations including Kent Fire and Rescue Service and Fastrack buses, she developed a broader understanding of different career pathways. She also took part in community initiatives such as Mission Christmas: Cash for Kids, further strengthening her teamwork, communication skills and commitment to supporting others.

Having spent time away from education, April recognised that her social confidence had declined during home education. Through JGA, she was able to rebuild those skills both in the classroom and through work experience, preparing her for the next stage of her journey.

That next step came sooner than expected.

After excelling on the programme, April has now joined JGA as an Apprentice Learning Support Officer, where she will support new learners on the Study Programme.

Elisha Miller, Study Programme Manager at JGA, said:

“April Jones, who is one of our Health and Social Care Level 2 learners, is now joining JGA Group as staff as an Apprentice Learning Support Officer to support new learners on our Study Programme!”

Paula Yates, April’s tutor, added:

“It was clear from the start of the course that April was going to be an exceptional student. She is hardworking, diligent and always keen to challenge herself. She has been a pleasure to teach and deserves all her success.”

For April, returning to JGA as a member of staff is an opportunity to give back.

“I have always loved the thought of being able to support young people in education to help them thrive and do the best they can, and now I have the opportunity to do for other people what JGA has done for me.”

April’s journey is a powerful example of what can happen when learners are given the right support, an inclusive environment and the opportunity to succeed. Today, she’s not only building her own future, she’s helping the next generation of learners build theirs.

Imagine scrolling social media and seeing a shocking headline or video. Would you know if it’s real, misleading or designed to manipulate you?

Even with new laws like the Online Safety Act, harmful content can still reach you. That’s why your ability to question what you see online matters more than ever – be aware and make sure you are Media Literate.

Some online content is still “legal but harmful”. This means it isn’t illegal—but it can:

• Spread hate or division
• Reinforce harmful beliefs
• Contribute to radicalisation

Recent cases show that individuals may engage with harmful online content that doesn’t meet the threshold for intervention, but still poses risks. This highlights why personal awareness is essential.

Did You Know?

• ¾ of UK adults say checking multiple sources is important
• Only 1 in 4 have used a fact-checking tool
• 3 in 10 believe conspiracy-style claims about world control
• 4 in 10 are sceptical of mainstream news

The harm that is caused

Increasing polarisation is becoming normal, eroding trust in institutions, the media and each other, often driven by online misinformation, disinformation and malinformation.

Spot the Difference

• Misinformation = False information shared by mistake

Eg – accidentally reposting an article with incorrect statistics or sharing a rumour without verifying it first.

• Disinformation = False information shared on purpose

Eg – falsified news reports, manipulated images, or AI-generated content designed to mislead while keeping accurate information hidden.

• Malinformation = Real information used in a misleading or harmful way

Eg – Sharing private images publicly to harm someone, where the content itself is real but the context is malicious; providing accurate images but falsifying details like location or time to mislead, or highlighting certain facts while omitting context to create fear, outrage, or reputational damage.

What You Can Do

• Pause before sharing content
• Check at least 2 reliable sources
• Use fact-checking sites
• Report harmful content
• Talk to someone if something concerns you

The rise in Islamophobia, antisemitism, and anti-migrant hate is largely caused by the intentional and unintentional spread of mis/dis/mal-information – how can you make sure that you know what to believe and behave as a good digital citizen should?

Digital Citizenship

A good digital citizen:

• Thinks before posting or sharing
• Challenges misinformation respectfully
• Supports others online
• Keeps themselves and others safe

Media Literacy

When a person is media literate they are:

• More able to understand media and its associated narratives
• More able to use media and tech safely
• Better at understanding of algorithms
• Better at understanding of mis/disinformation and AI
• Better at critically engaging with different media sources
• Better at understanding different social media platforms and how they work

How to Check If Something Is Real

1. ✔ Check the source – is it trustworthy?
2. ✔ Read beyond the headline
3. ✔ Look for other reports
4. ✔ Check the date
5. ✔ Verify images with Google Lens
6. ✔ Watch for emotional or biased language

Quick Check

You see a viral post claiming something shocking. What should you do first?

• A. Share it immediately
• B. Report it
• C. Check other trusted sources
• D. Comment your opinion

✅ Answer: C

Good sources of reference to check what you see is real and correct?

Full Fact – The UK’s independent fact-checking charity provides free tools, information, and advice to verify claims from politicians, media, and public discourse.

UK Fact Check – An independent news organisation that publishes original reporting and political analysis, verified using objective AI factchecking.

BBC Reality Check – Part of the BBC’s journalism team, this platform investigates claims made in the media and politics, providing clear explanations and context for UK audiences

Remember

Not everything online is what it seems. Being media literate helps protect you and others. If something worries you, speak to your Tutor, Manager, or safeguarding team.

Additional Resources:

BBC’s video offering advice: How to check what you see online is real – BBC News

YouTube video – how to check website addresses https://youtu.be/-A7NNNLGq6k?si=3QU29s4B88IAtj-a

ScamDetector website validator – Website Validator: Check for scam and risky websites (2025)

JGA Group were published on The Institute Food Science and Technology, Volume 40, Issue 2, June 2026. Read below to gain Stephanie Umebuani’s insights.

Building skills through apprenticeships

The UK food and drink sector remains one of the country’s largest and most vital industries – spanning primary production, manufacturing, retail, hospitality and export. It is also one of the most complex. Regulatory scrutiny, sustainability expectations, digital transformation and shifting consumer demand are all reshaping how businesses operate.

For many teams within the sector, the most significant constraint on growth and resilience is skills. Workforce development has therefore moved from being an HR function to a board-level strategic priority.

Apprenticeships, historically associated with entry-level or trade roles, have additionally evolved into a powerful mechanism for structured, funded and workforce-aligned professional development. They offer a practical solution to both recruitment challenges and capability gaps within the food and drink industry.

The apprenticeship landscape

Modern apprenticeships combine paid employment with structured, government-recognised training. Apprentices work in a real role while developing defined knowledge, skills and behaviours aligned to nationally approved standards.

In England, there were 353,500 apprenticeship starts in the 2024/25 academic year, with 761,500 learners participating overall. Today, apprenticeships span several hundred occupations across 15 technical routes and operate across all major UK industries, reflecting a significant evolution from traditional craft and trade roles to include business, digital, leadership and a wide range of professional services fields.

For employers, the outcomes are particularly relevant. Around 90% of apprentices remain in employment after completing their programme, reinforcing apprenticeships as a long-term talent investment rather than a short-term training initiative.

For food and drink businesses, apprenticeships provide a structured route to build capability internally while strengthening retention.

Why apprenticeships matter for food and drink organisations

Within food manufacturing and processing, apprenticeships are often associated with production, engineering or technical roles. These remain critical. However, capability gaps frequently exist in adjacent areas that directly influence commercial performance and long-term sustainability.

These include:

• Technical sales and key account management
• Product and brand marketing
• Digital communications and stakeholder engagement
• Business administration and operational coordination
• Service design and organisational transformation

As consumer scrutiny intensifies and supply chains grow more transparent, the ability to communicate clearly and responsibly about ingredients, sourcing, sustainability and product integrity is increasingly vital. Apprenticeships in marketing, communications and business functions can therefore complement technical teams and support integrated organisational performance.

Organisations are increasingly recognising that technical capability alone is not sufficient to compete in a rapidly evolving market. Cross-functional capability is becoming essential:

• Technical professionals must engage with customers, retailers, regulators and consumers
• Commercial teams must understand sustainability claims, product integrity and traceability
• Digital communication and community management now shapes brand reputation and stakeholder trust

Key benefits include:

• Broadening access to talent beyond traditional graduate recruitment channels
• Supporting diversity, equity and social mobility objectives
• Enabling employers to shape skills around real operational requirements
• Strengthening engagement and loyalty through structured progression pathways

Funding support structures make apprenticeships accessible regardless of company size. Employers who pay the Apprenticeship Levy can utilise existing funds to cover training costs, while non-levy-paying organisations typically receive 95-100% government funding towards apprenticeship training.

In addition, employers may be eligible for up to £6,000 in government incentive payments, depending on the apprentice’s age, employment status, eligibility criteria, and employer size.

To read the full blog head to The Institute Food Science and Technology, Volume 40, Issue 2, June 2026.

Written by Stephanie Umebuani.

FAQs

Sources:
GOV.UK, Explore Education Statistics – apprenticeship starts, achievements and participation data for 2024/25.
Guardian Recruiters – employer advice on understanding and running apprenticeship schemes.
Institute of Food Science and Technology (IFST) – original publisher of Stephanie Umebuani’s article, Volume 40, Issue 2, June 2026.