A Ladder of Opportunity During National Apprenticeship Week

As another National Apprenticeship Week comes to an end, Sussex Coast College Hastings is hailing the 10th anniversary as a success for Apprenticeships.

National Apprenticeship Week (NAW) has this year focused on getting more people into apprenticeships, by providing them with a ladder of opportunity.

Since NAW started in 2007, the college has been a passionate supporter of apprenticeships. The college was instrumental in helping 1,066 people get back into education and training in 2014, and last summer, challenged the so-called negative image problem, with a number of positive student stories.

Samantha McIver, who has almost finished her advanced apprenticeship at Sussex Coast College, has a very positive view about apprenticeships and says that they are perfect for helping you to start your career and get that all important foot in the door.

Samantha said: “I think apprenticeships are brilliant. They give you much more opportunity to find a career that you want to do. Some people go to university and study for 3 years, and when they graduate they find it so difficult to get the job they want.”

Samantha was 1 of almost 3,000 people who started an apprenticeship with the college and its partner organisations last year. Samantha now helps to make up 5% of the college’s full-time workforce.

Samantha continued: “I think that apprenticeships will continue to grow in popularity, especially when the changes are introduced later this year. It will give people even more reason to start an apprenticeship.

Changes to apprenticeships will see funding being made more available to businesses and individuals, and the range and level of qualifications that an apprentice can study, increasing too, taking away past limitations.

“I feel that the government are really starting to see the worth in apprenticeships by opening up the range and level of qualifications you can study. I think this is a great starting point and hopefully we’ll start to see lots of new opportunities opening up in businesses and sectors that you may not expect.”

The college, through Sussex Skills Solutions, its partnership with Sussex Downs College, currently offers apprenticeships in over 30 different frameworks, and is able to offer businesses information, advice and guidance on employing an apprentice and develop qualifications aligned to their needs.

Please get in touch if you would like to find out more about Sussex Skills Solutions. 030 300 39777, email [email protected] or visit www.sussexskillssolutions.co.uk