Apprentice of The Year sets her sights on nursing degree

Care, Health and Early Years Apprentice, Hope Holliday has been named as Apprentice of the Year in the Cambridge Regional College (@CRC_College) Apprenticeship Awards.

Hope studied at The John Henry Newman School where she completed her GCSE’s, followed by A-Levels in Science, before taking some time out to travel and experience the world. During her travels, Hope worked in an orphanage in Kenya before travelling through Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam exploring new cultures. Upon returning to the UK, Hope took up a Care Assistant position at St George’s Nursing Home, Royston.

Hope said, “I knew I wanted to work in Health Care, but I was unsure of which route to take. My travel experiences, coupled with working at St George’s reaffirmed my desire and allowed me to consider future career options in the health sector.”

When the apprenticeship programme presented itself, Hope saw an opportunity to enjoy the benefits of workplace learning, along supported study and enrolled onto the apprenticeship programme with CRC.

Hope added, “I wanted to gain extra knowledge and enhance my competencies whilst gaining a valued sector qualification. This would put me on a career path that would support my goal of becoming a Registered Nurse. My assessor has been excellent in supporting me through every stage of the course, stretching and challenging me to achieve the highest standards. I felt like she always had my best interests at heart and helped me to achieve my full potential.

was surprised to receive the apprenticeship award. I have put in a lot of hard work, but I never dreamt that it would lead to me receiving an award. Winning the award means a lot.”

Reflecting upon the apprenticeship experience, Hope concludes, “I would recommend the apprenticeship programme to anyone who wishes to go into the healthcare sector. It enables you gain extra knowledge, increase your competence and gives you the confidence to challenge yourself and reflect on your own practice. Applying those skills ensures you can continually look to improve the quality of your outcomes to achieve the best care possible for the individual.”

Hope is now looking to complete her apprenticeship nursing degree to fulfil her ambitions of becoming a registered nurse.