Premiership Rugby Celebrates Cohort of Apprentices

As part of National Apprenticeship Week 2023, 6th-12th February, Premiership Rugby is shining a spotlight on individuals from its award winning HITZ education and employability programme to demonstrate how rugby is helping create a new generation of apprentices.  

Helping young people to secure apprenticeships is a key objective of Premiership Rugby through the HITZ programme which has been running since 2008. It is on this programme that young people can find the steppingstones to employment, by gaining qualifications and learning new skills which make them more work ready. 

Rob Baxter, Director of Rugby at Exeter Chiefs is a huge advocate of apprenticeships and says: "The HITZ environment brings these young people out of themselves to enable them to learn new skills.

"What they then need is a chance from local businesses to show them what they are capable of. People like Andy Bassett, who are used to employing people and working in big teams in a real-life environment, play a valuable part in these young people’s future.

"He helps provide a different pathway for young people to learn new skills and become successful."

Delivered through our network of premiership clubs, foundations, and community volunteers, we work with young people who are often the hardest to reach, those not in education, employment or training for a variety of reasons. Often, against all odds, the programme helps young people to overcome personal battles physically and mentally, to reengage in education and enable them to work out their next steps, which for many includes going on to secure apprenticeships. Young people like… 

Callum Pope, Exeter Chiefs  

Having previously battled with severe social anxiety before joining the HITZ programme in 2019, Pope’s stellar work throughout led to an apprenticeship with SCL Education Group and subsequent employment as a teacher at HITZ.  

Callum has been assigned students to support and mentor throughout lockdowns over the last few years. Regularly checking in with them, Callum used his own personal experiences with isolation and depression to help support them to deal with the challenges brought about by Covid-19. Despite all his struggles, Pope found the strength within him to better both his life and those around him, he says of his journey ‘HITZ was a second chance to create a life for myself. With support around me I was able to say it’s my life and it’s my responsibility to make this better for myself. Completing an apprenticeship was such an enjoyable experience for me. It gave me accountability and a safe haven into the workplace.’ 

Callum, Exeter Chiefs, gives his top three ways to complete an apprenticeship

1. Get your assignments done early, the sooner they are done, the more of the actual job you can do and enjoy/learn from. 
2. Dive in at the deep end. Challenge yourself and take on extra tasks, no matter how scary they may be. 
3. Use your apprenticeship coach and ask any questions. They are here to help.

Businesses working with our clubs are committed to providing opportunities for young people after the HITZ programme. 

Andy Bassett is a retired business owner who three years ago chose to dedicate his time to HITZ and helping to develop apprenticeships with Exeter Chiefs. He works with the programme carving out career pathways for students. By helping young people to identify job prospects and preparing them to be work ready he instils confidence. Andy then taps into his resources from running three successful businesses to help them find roles that play to individual strengths, setting young people up for success. Andy is a firm believer in apprenticeships, having seen the benefits firsthand that they provide for businesses.   

Commenting on what he gets back from working with HITZ Andy says ‘My involvement in HITZ has made me more mindful, compassionate and less judgmental. I want to continue to make a genuine difference to the lives of young people and apprenticeship programmes is one way I can do this.’     

Working with more than 2,000 14–24-year-olds across England every year, the HITZ programme is supported by CVC, Wooden Spoon and East Head Impact, with Central YMCA as the programme’s official education provider, we support young people to make positive changes in their lives. 

Success comes from learning in an inclusive environment amongst the HITZ family that is different to mainstream education. Rugby’s core values of teamwork, respect, enjoyment, discipline, and sportsmanship are at the heart of every session delivered. Through self-discipline, commitment and courage beyond measure young people are gaining qualifications and life-changing skills to become an apprentice with a clear career pathway ahead of them.  

Find out more on the HITZ programme and details of how to enrol at www.premiershiprugby.com/community/hitz/