Celebrating our apprentices on Vocational Celebration Day
On 6 August 2026, the UK will mark its first-ever Vocational Celebration Day, a new national day created by Enginuity and EAL to celebrate vocational learners and the skills they bring to industry. We’re proud to be supporting it, and we’ll be there with members of our apprentice team.
It’s a cause close to home. Over 40 years of staircase-making has taught us that hands-on skill isn’t a fallback option. It’s the thing that keeps a workshop like ours running, and running well. As an employee-owned company, we’ve always invested in developing talent from within, and our apprentices are very much part of that future.
There’s also a nice bit of local pride in this one: the day’s flagship live broadcast, hosted by broadcaster Steph McGovern, is being filmed from Teagle Machinery Ltd, right here in Cornwall.
Why it matters
Vocational learning has long been treated as the less glamorous option and seen as easier or less valuable than an academic route. Anyone who’s spent time on a shop floor knows that’s not true. The UK needs more people with practical, work-ready skills, and vocational learners are the ones building that future, whether in engineering, manufacturing, construction or care.
Vocational Celebration Day is a chance to give that contribution the recognition it deserves and to celebrate the organisations helping learners get there.
It’s part of how we already work
This isn’t a one-off for us. Our CEO, Andrew Holland, has spoken before about why apprenticeships matter to Spiral UK:
“National Apprenticeship Week 2026 is an opportunity for us to celebrate the talent, dedication, and fresh perspectives our apprentices bring. By investing in these pathways, we aren’t just developing skills; we’re creating meaningful careers that support our business and the wider economy.”
Managing Director Eric Nicholls put it just as plainly:
“Apprentices are the lifeblood of our business. It is vital that we keep inspiring and training the workforce of the future to be part of our highly skilled team.”
We were also recently featured in an Enginuity video on Cornwall’s approach to apprenticeships and local talent development serving a good reminder that this support for vocational learning isn’t new for us, and it isn’t going anywhere.
How we’re getting involved
In the run-up to 6 August, we’re be joining the campaign online and celebrating the apprentices who keep our workshop moving. On the day itself, some of our apprentices will be attending in person.
Want to follow along? Join the conversation using #VocationalCelebrationDay and #CelebrateVocational, or find out more about the campaign.