College launches campaign to sign up 100 apprentices in 100 days as part of their 100th anniversary celebrations
West Suffolk College has launched a campaign to recruit 100 apprentices in 100 days as part of their 100th anniversary celebrations.
Set up in 1925 in Bury St Edmunds, the college has grown substantially in the last century and currently supports around 8,000 learners.
2100 of those are on apprenticeship courses and the college is keen to extend that figure by beginning this crusade.
Starting on Monday 31 March 2025, the college team in charge of these programmes has pledged to sign up 100 new recruits.
To help with the launch of the initiative, Richard Stittle, the Group Director for Business Development, met up with former West Suffolk College apprentice of the year Amy Underwood at Portable Space in Bacton to discuss the benefits of studying on these courses.
Richard said: “I’d say that West Suffolk College is the place to choose if you want to study on an apprenticeship course. Our success rates are way above national average and in terms of being a large college who supports almost 2000 apprentices and works with over 1000 business nationally, we are a provider with some of the best success rates in the country.
In terms of catching up with Amy and the campaign, he said: “Amy is one of our success stories and it was great to meet up with her this week. We hope her story inspires others to follow Amy’s lead and join us on our 100 in 100 mission.”
Amy, 19, from Bury St Edmunds, is a current apprentice (at Portable Space) and was delighted to back the bid. Amy said: “A-levels weren’t for me. I knew I never wanted to go to university. So, I began looking at apprenticeships, got put in touch with the college and spoke to Richard (Stittle).
“Within a week, I had an interview and was then offered an apprenticeship. It all happened so fast, I settled in well and It’s the best thing I ever did (in terms of my education).
“Starting an apprenticeship allows you get your foot in the door of an organisation, helps you train, learn and get paid – and puts you in a better position when I compare where I am, to where my friends at university currently are.”
Reflecting on winning the West Suffolk College apprentice of the year accolade in 2024, Amy reflected: “I was really shocked (to win). I’m proud of myself. I followed my own instincts in terms of studying an apprenticeship and it paid off.”
In terms of the campaign, Amy said: “I think it’s really good. Apprenticeships now have more kudos and they are on the same level now as degrees. They give you hands-on experience in many different fields and it’s a great way to start out and build a successful career.”
Melissa Duncan is the Head of Procurement at Portable Space. She said: “At Portable Space, we choose to work with West Suffolk College to provide apprenticeships and create a pipeline of skilled talent.
“Apprenticeships provide people with valuable experience, enabling them to gain practical skills while earning an income. This approach boosts the confidence of our apprenticeship colleagues but also equips them with the specific skills needed for our industry.”
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