Baltic Apprenticeships had strong evidence of training quality, but needed to make that evidence more visible and useful to employers. Qualification Achievement Rates (QAR), which show the percentage of apprentices who complete their training, can help organisations assess provider quality, workforce reliability and the risk attached to their training investment. Yet the data can be difficult for employers to find and interpret.
The publication of Department for Education apprenticeship performance data, alongside the launch of Baltic’s public performance dashboard, created an opportunity to change that. PR Agency One was appointed to develop an earned media programme that would explain why QAR matters and bring apprenticeship quality into a broader employer conversation.
What We Did
We built the programme around a clear editorial idea. Apprenticeship quality data already existed, but employers needed it to be easier to find, understand and use.
Our communications objectives were to:
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explain QAR in practical terms, connecting it to workforce planning, retention, productivity and provider selection
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extend the quality conversation beyond education trade media into national, business, HR and technology titles
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establish Baltic as a useful media source on apprenticeship quality, transparency and provider choice
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direct interested employers towards Baltic’s public performance dashboard
The approach combined narrative development, data-led media relations, launch press office support, reactive commentary and thought leadership. Rather than making Baltic’s own performance the sole focus, we used it as evidence within a wider public-interest story about the information employers need when choosing an apprenticeship provider.
Our Campaign
We translated technical performance data into employer-relevant stories. This gave journalists accessible ways to discuss apprenticeship completion rates while keeping the implications for organisations at the centre of the coverage.
The campaign included:
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a narrative explaining QAR and why it should matter to employers assessing training quality and investment risk
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data-led media relations linked to the Department for Education’s apprenticeship performance figures
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press office support around the launch of Baltic’s public dashboard
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reactive commentary connecting apprenticeship quality with live workforce and skills issues
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thought leadership for national, business, HR, skills, education and technology media
This connected approach allowed us to engage specialist education journalists while also taking the story into outlets read by employers and business decision-makers. Baltic’s performance provided proof for the argument, while the editorial focus remained on helping employers make better-informed choices.
The results
Over the three-month campaign period, the programme delivered strong media visibility across a broad mix of relevant titles.
The campaign secured coverage in national, business, HR, skills, technology and education media, helping Baltic Apprenticeships build credibility around apprenticeship quality, employer decision-making and training transparency.
It also supported traffic to the apprenticeship performance dashboard, helping turn media interest into direct engagement with Baltic’s data-led resource.
During the initial three months:
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We secured 25 articles across national, business and specialist media, with an estimated combined reach of 169.9 million.
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Coverage appeared in FT Adviser, LBC News, the Daily Mail and FE Week, taking the subject to employer and sector audiences.
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The story moved beyond education trade media into employer-facing outlets, broadening the context in which apprenticeship quality was discussed.
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Coverage presented QAR through employer-relevant issues including workforce reliability, training outcomes and investment risk.
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Coverage containing links created routes for readers to reach Baltic’s website.
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Baltic featured as a media source on apprenticeship quality, transparency and provider choice.
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Baltic’s public performance dashboard recorded more than 960 views during the campaign, showing that audiences engaged directly with the quality information at the centre of the programme.
The impact
The campaign gave Baltic a stronger external platform for its evidence of training quality and widened the discussion beyond the education sector. National, business and specialist coverage helped place provider performance in front of audiences concerned with skills, people and investment decisions, while the dashboard gave employers a practical next step. The programme expanded Baltic’s media visibility, made apprenticeship quality more relevant to employer audiences and contributed to engagement with its public performance data.
