Colleges ‘fire it up’ for National Apprenticeship Week 2019
March 4, 2019
In support of National Apprenticeship Week 2019, St Helens College and Knowsley Community College are celebrating the outstanding successes of current apprentices, promoting apprenticeship opportunities to young people and demonstrating how employers can ‘fire up’ their business with an apprentice.
A whole host of exciting and informative activities will take place throughout the week, from 4th March to 8th March, from the school liaison team providing apprenticeship information sessions to young people at several schools across the borough, to an ‘Apprenticeship Roadshow’, sharing CV tips and guidance on how to search and apply for apprenticeship vacancies.
Currently offering apprenticeships in over 20 different sectors, ranging from engineering, life sciences and health to business, hairdressing, beauty, and computing, both Colleges have over 700 apprentices with high profile employers; including Thermo Fisher Scientific, NHS, CAL International, Yorkshire Repak, MGF and Bagnalls Painting and Decorating.
In addition to planned activities, several of our amazing apprentices will feature in our week-long social media campaign to inspire and encourage others to follow in their footsteps and choose an apprenticeship to ‘fire up’ their future careers.
One of our featured apprentices, Ash studied the level 3 Diploma in Engineering Technologies: Mechanical Engineering at St Helens College before securing an impressive apprenticeship with established organisation, CAL International. He has since progressed on to a HNC in Mechanical Engineering, fully funded by his employer.
The aspiring aerospace engineer said, “The supportive tutors with their industry links, have helped me to secure my apprenticeship with CAL International. I really enjoy my job and as part of my role, I research and develop new ideas and improve existing designs and processes across a variety of industries such as automotive, chemical, aerospace and packaging.”
He added, “With the experience and skills that I’m developing on my HNC and the support and expertise from my tutors at College, I believe my dream career will become a reality.”
Throughout the week, St Helens College will also be sharing a series of insightful employer blogs, case studies and inspiring stories as great examples of how businesses can benefit from employing an apprentice and also how to utilise the Apprenticeship Levy effectively.
Previous apprentice Bethan, has since secured full-time employment after completing her apprenticeship with Knowsley Community College. Bethan said, “I loved the flexibility of an apprenticeship, as I was able to complete most of the work at home or whilst working in the office. Although at times it was challenging, especially when working towards deadlines, the support that I received from my assessor and workplace manager helped me so much.”
Julia Callaghan, Marketing, Sales and Customer Relations Director said, “We work with hundreds of employers throughout the Northwest, something which we are extremely proud of. We are also proud to be able to provide an extensive range of apprenticeship opportunities to people of all ages. We are passionate about educating and supporting businesses to harness the benefits and rewards of employing apprentices and investing in the skills which they can bring to their business.”
She added, “National Apprenticeship Week is a fantastic initiative and opportunity to promote and highlight the far-reaching benefits apprenticeships bring to both apprentices and employers, but most importantly, it is a great opportunity to celebrate the achievements of those apprentices that have secured their first opportunity in their chosen career.”