One of the world’s most renowned advertising agencies has been brought in to relaunch the government’s beleaguered apprenticeships programme.

M&C Saatchi, set up by Charles and Maurice Saatchi, has won a competitive bidding process to help boost the reformed apprenticeships on behalf of the Department for Education.

Since the flagship apprenticeship levy was introduced in April 2017, the number of people starting apprenticeships has dramatically declined. In May, the apprenticeships minister, Anne Milton, appeared to distance herself from the government’s target of creating 3 million apprenticeship starts by 2020, saying that quality would not be sacrificed to meet the target.

Rebooting apprenticeships

The DfE said that the campaign would target “key audiences”, including businesses, young people, teachers and parents. The advertisements will promote the reformed apprenticeships and challenge “outdated attitudes”.

It is not clear whether the move will spell the end for the “Get in go far” campaign, launched in 2014 under then business secretary Sir Vince Cable.

Did you know that you can do a #degreeapprenticeship and have your tuition fees paid for? Find out more at https://t.co/jliYeQf6MO #GetInGoFar #ApprenticeshipsWork pic.twitter.com/lViNJuwrMy

— Skills Support for Employers (@DfE_Employers) September 15, 2018

‘A career-defining impact’

Gemmaine Walsh, director of DfE’s communications group, said she was excited to be working with M&C Saatchi to relaunch the campaign.

She added: “This is a flagship government campaign and has the potential to have a real impact on how people think and feel about apprenticeships, and the lives of thousands of people.”

Chris Owen, director of business and technology at M&C Saatchi Public Relations, said: “The opportunity to work together on reframing a movement as large as apprenticeships is one we’re hugely excited about.

“It’s one of those campaigns that will have a career-defining impact across society and across business, and we’re thrilled to be working with the teams across the M&C Saatchi network on bringing it to life.”

The “Get in go far” campaign’s Twitter feed remains active. The DfE has been contacted for comment.

Famous Saatchi political posters 

Maurice and Charles Saatchi founded Saatchi & Saactchi in 1970, and created one of the most renowned ad agencies in the world. Their advertisements have played a major role in UK political campaigns, with the 1979 “Labour isn’t working” poster for the Conservative Party going down in political history.

The brothers left Saatchi & Saatchi in 1995 to found M&C Saatchi, along with other senior executives from the company.

M&C Saatchi has worked on subsequent Conservative Party general election campaigns, including a 2015 poster featuring then Labour leader Ed Miliband in the breast pocket of former SNP leader Alex Salmond.