The UK is short of skilled people in defence, aviation and aerospace, with too few trainees reaching full licensed aircraft engineer level. For National Apprenticeship Week, we helped Lincoln College Group turn that skills gap into a story, showing how its Air & Space Institute trains work-ready talent for a sector where 88% of aerospace jobs are outside London. We put the college's director of apprenticeship partnerships on air alongside a student from the institute across a radio day of interviews. The broadcast PR campaign secured 14 items of radio coverage reaching 1.6 million people, including BBC Radio Nottingham, BBC Radio Lincolnshire and Greatest Hits Radio Lincolnshire.
Lincoln College Group, National Apprenticeship Week
The aim
Lincoln College Group wanted to show how its Air & Space Institute is training work-ready aviation and aerospace talent to tackle the UK skills shortage.
The message
The talent pipeline into aviation and aerospace is not keeping pace with demand. Industry-led apprenticeships and hands-on training get students ready for work.
The angle
The UK faces a growing skills shortage across defence, aviation and aerospace, with too few trainees reaching full licensed aircraft engineer level. The sector employed around 104,000 people in 2023 with median wages 40% above the national average, and 88% of aerospace jobs are outside London.
On air
The college's director of apprenticeship partnerships, joined by a student from its Air & Space Institute
The result
14 items of coverage reaching 1.6 million, including Greatest Hits Radio Lincolnshire, BBC Radio Nottingham, Hits Radio Lincs, BBC Radio Lincolnshire.
More campaigns for Lincoln College Group
Lincoln College Group has come back to Relations Group for other broadcast PR campaigns:
National Apprenticeship Week has been run by the Department for Education and the National Apprenticeship Service since 2008. It shows what apprenticeships offer people, employers and the economy. It usually takes place in the second week of February, and the 2027 week is expected to run from 8 to 14 February. Stations plan their coverage of it in advance, which makes it a strong hook for a broadcast PR campaign.
Planning National Apprenticeship Week for 2027?
National Apprenticeship Week is expected to run from 8 to 14 February 2027. Talk to the team about a broadcast PR campaign that gets your spokesperson on radio and TV.
