With application volumes continuing to rise significantly, due to a tough economic environment and job market, along with powerful AI tools in the hands of candidates, employers are exploring multiple ways to respond to ever growing volumes, be that closing for applications early, raising the assessment pass marks, automated screening, to name but a few. 

This session will share how British Airways faced up to this familiar but intensifying challenge with an innovative pilot in 2025, leveraging their long-standing partnership with Connectr Talent Technology, by pioneering an intent-led pre-application journey, to create more informed candidates for one of their apprenticeship programmes. 

This interactive workshop focuses on leveraging unique UCAS data sets and outcomes from the Project Next Generation: a focus on diversity research, to inform workforce planning and apprenticeship strategies. With over 1 million students registering to explore their options, UCAS knows students better than anyone else.

In today’s rapidly evolving labour market, understanding future workforce trends is essential for employers, training providers, and policymakers. UCAS data and research outcomes, capture the intentions, interests, and choices of hundreds of thousands of prospective students, offering a unique lens into emerging talent pipelines and opening doors to the future ready workforce of tomorrow. 

Participants will engage in a small group exercise, reviewing anonymised UCAS data snapshots and discussing their implications for organisational workforce strategies, building skills for young people and growing the UK economy. This exercise provides an opportunity to share insights, foster collaborative learning and cross-sector dialogue.

Concluding with a Q&A and reflection segment, encouraging participants to share ideas and ask questions, followed by a summary of key takeaways. 

Apprentices are entering the workplace at a time of unprecedented pressure: fast-paced organisational expectations, new hybrid working norms, and rising concerns around mental health and resilience. Leaders responsible for apprenticeship programmes are increasingly seeking innovative, safe, and scalable ways to support wellbeing—without adding to their already stretched resources.

This masterclass from early career and wellbeing experts Gen Healthy Minds Ltd, partnering with AI and learning expert Erica Farmer, will explore how artificial intelligence can be used ethically and effectively to enhance apprentice wellbeing, strengthen support frameworks, and empower young talent to thrive at work—not just survive it.

Far from replacing human care, AI presents an opportunity to augment the support leaders can offer, enabling more personalised check-ins, early identification of wellbeing challenges, and tailored coaching to help apprentices navigate workload, confidence, and professional growth.

This masterclass will provide not just inspiration, but grounded, evidence-informed methods for integrating AI into wellbeing support—helping you future-proof your apprenticeship programme and create a culture where apprentices feel confident, resilient, and ready to succeed.