190% Growth. 100% Pass Rate. TWO New Apprenticeships. And We’re Just Getting Started.
As we continue to celebrate our Golden Jubilee, I couldn’t be prouder of what our apprentices, employers and specialist training team are achieving.
Having spent years advising Government Ministers on apprenticeship policy and funding, I know the enormous value apprenticeships bring to our economy. But nothing compares to seeing that impact first-hand: careers transformed, businesses strengthened and generations of specialist manufacturing knowledge protected.
The results speak for themselves!
- 190% growth in apprentice numbers in less than 12 months.
- 100% current pass rate for TCoE apprentices completing their final assessments.
- 82% apprenticeship achievement rate, 20% higher than the national average!
- Over 6,000 apprentices trained.
- Over 3,000 leaders and managers trained, via ILM and Train the Trainer qualifications helping strengthen British industry.
Employers get the skills they need. People get careers worth building. British industry gets stronger.
For anyone unfamiliar with apprenticeships, the idea is brilliantly simple. An apprenticeship combines a real job, a salary, structured training and a nationally recognised qualification. They’re not just for school-leavers either. Existing employees can use them to develop technical expertise, gain qualifications and progress into leadership.
That’s why our programmes are designed around the needs of manufacturers. We’re not training people for hypothetical jobs. We’re developing the expertise British businesses need right now.
Real people. Extraordinary achievements.
Take the brilliant Amaan Ul-Haq at Burberry. He started on the cleaning team, progressed into weaving and is now completing his Level 4 Textile Technical Specialist Apprenticeship, with ambitions to become a Team Leader. What a journey! Read more here.
Then there’s two superstars. Rhys Hughes, winner of our Chris Antich Inspiration Award and Jackie Knapton, who switched careers from care into textiles and successfully completed her Laboratory Technician Apprenticeship. Both have now been shortlisted for the Kirklees Adult Learner Awards where they are up for major awards this Thursday! https://tcoe.co.uk/two-tcoe-apprentices-shortlisted-for-kirklees-adult-learner-awards/
At the West Yorkshire Apprenticeship Awards 2026, TCoE was Highly Commended as a training provider, alongside our exceptional apprentice Desmond Norris of Abraham Moon & Sons, also Highly Commended in his category: https://tcoe.co.uk/west-yorkshire-apprenticeship-awards-2026-highly-commended/
Breaking news: TWO new apprenticeships!
We’re not stopping there! Following growing employer demand, I’m delighted to announce the launch of two new Level 4 apprenticeships:
- Quality Practitioner: Developing specialists who improve product quality, solve problems and drive higher manufacturing standards.
- Process Leader: Creating the next generation of manufacturing leaders who improve productivity, efficiency and operational performance.
Both provide recognised qualifications through practical workplace learning, helping employers develop existing staff or recruit new talent – https://tcoe.co.uk/apprenticeships/leadership-management-apprenticeships/
Government funding makes apprenticeships even more attractive!
There’s fantastic news for manufacturers looking to invest in their workforce. Recent Government reforms mean eligible employers can now benefit from the following stackable incentives:
- 100% funded apprenticeship training
- 100% Employers’ National Insurance relief for apprentices under 25 (saving thousands per apprentice)
- £2,000 hiring payments for eligible employers recruiting new apprentices
- An additional £1,000 for employers recruiting eligible younger apprentices.
For employers facing skills shortages, succession challenges or ambitious growth plans, the opportunity is enormous.
Fifty years of excellence. Our most exciting chapter yet.
Apprenticeships sit at the heart of our mission, alongside specialist Train-the-Trainer programmes, technical short courses and our hugely successful Textile Manufacturing Skills Bootcamps. Together, they help people enter our industry, develop specialist expertise and build successful careers.
What makes apprenticeships particularly powerful is the combination of workplace experience, sustained development and recognised qualifications. For an industry built on specialist knowledge passed between generations, that is invaluable.
At TCoE, we deliver training around manufacturers’ needs, including workplace delivery, individual tuition and night-shift support. We’re proudly industry-owned, not-for-profit and committed to reinvesting in the future of UK manufacturing.
To every apprentice, employer, tutor and supporter: thank you.
Shahban Aziz | Managing Director
Ready to develop your workforce? Contact our team at reception@tcoe.co.uk
