New Campaign Launches For National Apprenticeship Week 2016

17th March 2016

Young people are being urged to sign up for an apprenticeship as part of a national campaign this week.

The Sheffield College is backing National Apprenticeship Week by encouraging 16 to 24-year-olds to apply for more than 200 current live vacancies. National Apprenticeship Week, from March 14th to 18th, showcases the benefits of apprenticeships to young people and businesses. Led by the National Apprenticeship Service, the week celebrates the positive impact that apprenticeships have on individuals, communities and the economy. Paul Corcoran, Chief Executive, The Sheffield College, said: -Apprenticeships offer great job prospects for young people, enabling them to earn as they learn and secure a qualification whilst developing valuable skills in the workplace. He added: -Our apprenticeship programme is backed by a broad range of different size employers, and boosts employment prospects for young people. It also ensures that businesses can recruit and mould new talent to reduce skills shortages and enjoy faster growth. More than 1,000 apprentices are studying at The Sheffield College at any one time in a range of different sectors from business administration and dental technology to horticulture and pharmacy. There are currently 245 live apprenticeship vacancies. To book a place at the next apprenticeship information sessions on March 22nd, 23rd and 24th at City campus on Granville Road, email info@sheffcol.ac.uk or call 0114 2602600. As the largest provider of work-based courses in Sheffield and the surrounding areas, the College works with approximately 500 employers, and delivers 30 apprenticeship frameworks to a range of different size employers. The College offers apprenticeships at Level 2 equivalent to five GCSE passes, Level 3 equivalent to two A Level passes, and some are also available at Level 4 which is equivalent to degree level. Visit http://www.sheffcol.ac.uk/Apprenticeships The College works with the region's top employers including Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, where 73 apprentices are currently training in business administration, engineering, pharmacy, health and social care, and cleaning and environmental support services. Sir Andrew Cash, Chief Executive, Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, said: -Our longstanding partnership with the College has a very positive impact on our organisation and workforce development. Apprenticeships are a great way to attract, train and retain local talent. He added: -They enable us to train our staff in the specific skills that our organisation needs now and in the future to ensure we can continue to provide high quality healthcare to our patients. We consider our apprentices to be an integral part of our organisation and I am pleased that so many apprentices go on to further their career with us. The College continues to launch new apprenticeship provision to match local business needs, and support economic growth. Rachel Green, 18, is one of the first veterinary nurse apprentices to be trained by the College, and is progressing well. Rachel is completing a two-year apprenticeship with Springfield Veterinary Group in Crystal Peaks. She earns as she learns, gaining hands-on skills in the workplace for four days a week and studies at the College for one day a week. Rachel said: -It's going very well. I'm really enjoying the apprenticeship. I'm learning quickly in a really practical, hands-on way, and I like the fact that no day is the same. Her manager Tracy Cousins, Head Veterinary Nurse at Springfield Veterinary Group, which has seven branches across South Yorkshire, said: -I would highly recommend other businesses to follow in our footsteps and take on apprentices. The College provides professional qualifications which would otherwise not be obtainable within the local area. The quality of the student is outstanding. We are pleased to allow a young person to gain a professional qualification." As a large employer in the city, the College also recruits apprentices within the organisation. Victoria Salisbury, 22, is completing a Business Administration Apprenticeship at Level 4, which is equivalent to a degree level qualification. Her job involves providing administrative support to the College's Executive Team. She said: -Deciding to become an apprentice is the best decision I have ever made. I love the variety of my role and I thoroughly enjoy coming to work every day. I have gained so much confidence, experience, insight and knowledge during my time as an apprentice. I cannot praise The Sheffield College enough for providing me with this experience. I am constantly learning and becoming a better version of myself both personally and academically. - Victoria added: -Young people seem to think apprenticeships are only for those who aren't academic enough to go to university, when actually they are just a different way of learning. They provide both the qualifications and invaluable experience that young people need without the associated debt from university.