National Apprenticeship Week 2025 (10 to 16 February) is an annual initiative that shines a light on the value of apprenticeships in our workforce. This year marks a pivotal milestone where architectural apprentices are reaching the end of their Level 6 and 7 pathways, following the launch back in 2018.
This said, there is a current government proposal to remove the funding which supports the Level 7 apprenticeship pathways. RIBA is lobbying against these reforms, calling in a joint statement with RTPI, CIOB and RICS for built environment Level 7 apprenticeships to be exempt from reforms and granted access to the new Growth and Skills Levy. RIBA members have made it clear that without this access to levy funding as employers, they will be highly unlikely to be able to recruit or upskill Level 7 apprentices, which would adversely impact the steps being taken to make our profession more representative of our communities.
National Apprenticeship Week’s theme ‘Skills for Life’ encourages us to reflect on another year, working to diversify the profession, address skills shortages, and will no doubt resonate with those in the industry, given the nature of our profession being underpinned by lifelong learning and CPD (beyond Part 3). Level 7 apprentice at Scott Brownrigg, Dorréll Gayle-Menzie tells us of his experience.
“I chose the apprenticeship route for three key reasons: financial considerations, learning methodology, and industry experience.
I graduated just before the Covid pandemic which significantly delayed my anticipated career progression by two years. At 26, dedicating another two years to full-time academic study was an unaffordable luxury, particularly while living in London. The financial demands of an architecture degree—spanning printing, physical and digital model-making, and high-cost hardware and software—made an apprenticeship a far more viable option.
This route also accommodates my hands-on learning style, and its blend of practical and academic experience has significantly deepened my understanding. The apprenticeship process reminds me of learning to drive: it’s important to learn the theory with desk-based study and testing, as this has helped me to form an understanding of the fundamentals but, I find its most useful to see the mechanics in action and apply concepts in real time.
A key advantage of the apprenticeship is its structured mentorship. My mentor, Fiona Grieve, has been instrumental in helping shape my technical and professional understanding of the industry. Having a consistent, knowledgeable point of contact has been invaluable.
Holistically this path has been the best choice, enabling me to pursue architectural qualification while circumventing the financial and practical challenges of the traditional path.”
RIBA explored the topic ‘Emerging Education’ at the third RIBA Education and Practice Away Day, in January 2025, with a session on navigating mentoring in practice. Attendees shared how mentoring is a chance to learn from mistakes, in an open and mutually respectful way, opening a two-way learning space where professionals can give back to the industry. Elizabeth Akamo spoke to attendees about the power of mentoring.
Elizabeth joined Scott Brownrigg as a Level 7 Apprentice in August 2021. While delivering numerous residential and mixed use projects in the UK and internationally, Elizabeth recently completed her MArch Degree with Oxford Brookes University, receiving a distinction in her Management, Practice and Law module. She is due to complete her apprenticeship this year. Here Elizabeth shares her insights:
“The apprenticeship has been complex, dynamic and, in many ways, a challenging route, but one that has allowed me to gain amazing professional experience while completing my academic qualifications. Having the support of my mentor, Matthew Humphreys and wider practice has been critical in me learning and developing my skills, while navigating a very different path of architectural training.
My mentor and I have completely different approaches to design – I have a somewhat whimsical approach while Matthew is very pragmatic – so having a mentor that has a very different view of design and architecture, has made me more rigorous in my approach to my work, bolder in my exploration and more curious about what kind of architect I want to be when I qualify.
Mentorship is often misunderstood to be like a ‘teacher/ student’ relationship and while mentorship involves guidance and times where your mentor will advocate for you, a good mentor will empower you to advocate for yourself. Coming from the traditional style of education where a student is in the receptive position – receptive to information, receptive to instruction, receptive to guidance – it is easy to assume that familiar ‘student’ position when you become an apprentice – especially in an industry where there is so much to learn.
But an apprenticeship mentor pulls you out of that; the regular discussions about my professional and academic progress and constantly pushing me to interrogate my academic research and critically apply it to my work in practice, has encouraged me to take ownership of my training and journey. This has been a huge boost in my confidence as a professional.
While my mentor has been great, the wider Scott Brownrigg practice culture of informal mentorship where learning and asking questions is embraced is what has made the support so effective and made the journey so impactful. Formal mentorship is fantastic but what is critical to developing a holistic and balanced professional approach to design is informal mentorship.
In practice, there is a culture where anyone can ask for help or be a source of knowledge which I really enjoy. It is unrealistic and unreasonable to expect your mentor to know all things, so having a workplace culture where there are constant exchanges of knowledge and experience from anyone, and people care about your progress makes a real difference. Matthew often encourages me to speak to different people in the business about my academic work as well as about my professional journey.
Mentorship through the apprenticeship has enhanced my professional growth in numerous ways; my mentor has been a consistent support through this academic journey and given me invaluable professional guidance.”
If you would like to learn more about apprenticeships, plenty of insights can be found in the Architecture Apprenticeship handbook, by Daniel Goodricke and Luke Murray, featuring advice, ‘need-to-know’ tips and case studies from employers, academics and recent graduates and current Level 7 apprentices, all with the aim to demystify the key stages of the apprenticeship.
For mentoring opportunities, RIBA brings students at RIBA validated programmes together with RIBA Chartered Practices through the RIBA Future Architects student mentoring scheme. We must also spotlight the force of nature, Dhruv Gulabchande, recently named one of RIBA Journal’s Rising Stars for 2024 and the founder of the non-profit mentoring community, Narrative Practice, an important platform breaking down silos to improve diversity and representation within the profession, making room for those without social or financial privileges.
An apprenticeship is grounded by the commitment of all involved - the apprentice’s hard work; the university’s support, and the investment by the practice.
When we asked some RIBA members for their views, Gayle Appleyard at Gagarin Studio Ltd highlighted, ‘the benefits of apprenticeships to our studio are multi-faceted – but the biggest gain is retaining talent and supporting young professionals that are well versed in the practicalities and deliverables of practice.’ This was echoed further by Peter Barker at Ryder Architecture, who comments that ‘we have fully embraced the architecture apprenticeship model, supporting 20 young people to date, as it has broadened access to the profession by providing an opportunity to meet both practice based and academic competencies within a paid working environment.’
Join our conversations about National Apprenticeship Week 2025 on social media using the hashtags #NAW2025
