This was funded by the Learning Skills Council (LSC) where ABDN worked in partnership VERSA and ABDN. Through the Changing Attitudes programme, ABDN have worked with many young people through a range of methods by promoting the Apprenticeship scheme across the West Yorkshire region. The project has been running September 2008 for eighteen months and has recently come to a close in January 2010.

As part of the project, ABDN coordinated a number of school visits engaging young people with information on how to apply for the Apprenticeship programme. All year 11 pupils within carefully selected schools in disadvantaged areas were given an assembly promoting the apprenticeship programme as a viable additional option to further education and this was then followed up with group sessions with interested students with the support of Leeds City College. Most of these sessions had a number of young role models which were recruited by ABDN through for the project to demonstrate clear examples of what can be achieved.

ABDN also organised a number of key community led events focusing on young people from disadvantaged areas in Leeds such as Chapeltown, Harehills, Beestons, Hunslet and across the region in Bradford and Huddersfield. All these events promoted the apprenticeship scheme and had involvement from a number of local community groups from BAME backgrounds.

Additionally, ABDN organised a number of mentors for young people to support those who were currently on an apprenticeship placement or seeking to start one. ABDN Board Directors also acted as mentors to support young people from these disadvantaged communities. Furthermore, a number of focus groups was organised through ABDN, aimed at bringing parents, families and community leaders together to discuss apprenticeships, the barriers, options for young people and methods of encouraging them to undertake an apprenticeship placement as an alternative option to further their education.