Stainless Metalcraft: 100 Years of Apprenticeships
Brief
As part of our ongoing marketing programme, Stainless Metalcraft asked Encore Communications to develop a media relations campaign to celebrate the 100th anniversary of its apprenticeship scheme. The objectives for the campaign were to raise awareness of Metalcraft’s commitment to training among both potential new recruits and key customers and influencers.
Solution
Encore developed a 12-month programme of activity to celebrate the landmark. Working with local media, we launched a campaign for past apprentices to get in touch and share their experiences about life as an apprentice. This led to the creation of a series of ‘human interest’ stories, which were distributed to local media around key dates in the calendar (e.g. National Apprenticeship Week and a special event organised to mark the anniversary itself).
After the team found a photograph of the first intake of apprentices, the current apprentices recreated the image, with the ‘past and present’ image being circulated to local media and used in promotional materials and award entries throughout the year. Comment was also provided to engineering trade press around key issues – e.g. the announcement of the members of the National Apprenticeship Delivery Board – and suitable awards recognising companies’ commitment to training were identified and entered.
Results
The campaign achieved strong local media coverage, including BBC Radio Cambridgeshire broadcasting live from Metalcraft during National Apprenticeship Week, and the company featuring in engineering trade and national press.
Metalcraft was invited to take part in the government’s ‘Get In Go Far’ apprenticeship video and is now consulting with advisers on apprenticeship issues. The company won several awards for its work training the next generation of apprentices and was named in the Sunday Telegraph’s Top 100 Apprenticeship Employers. It also won the Minister’s Award at the Nuclear Decommissioning Agency’s Supply Chain Awards, with the judges citing the ‘100 years of apprenticeships’ campaign as a key driver in their receipt of the award.
The campaign also strengthened Metalcraft’s relationships with a key customer and, most importantly, led to the company receiving a record number of applications for its apprenticeship scheme, with a 250% increase in the number of apprentices starting at the company.
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