Cambridge Regional College
Cambridge Regional College offers Apprenticeships to existing and new staff on a wide range of frameworks including horticulture, IT, customer service, business administration and catering. Over the past three years the college has recruited 26 apprentices as established members of staff.
Andrea Chilton, the HR Manager, believes that active involvement in an Apprenticeship programme is vital for an organisation which is involved in providing Apprenticeships.
“Our involvement provides existing staff with an better understanding of a programme which many of them are themselves involved in delivering.”
Coral Hatley supervises the College’s apprentices that are based in the Work Based Learning Department. The Department as well as delivering 700 Apprenticeships across a variety of trades offers Apprenticeships for new recruits in business administration and for existing staff in customer service and IT.
Framework Approach
Coral considers that the strength of the Apprenticeship is the framework:
“We lose them one day a week to training at college but what they learn there comes back and improves what they do.”
Although she describes many of the apprentices as high fliers she considers that the framework approach works well because it can support those without a strong academic background.
“The key skills are useful… some people do not have good GCSE grades and it increases their confidence… whilst others with better grades can get exemptions so they are not held back’. The key skills will bring you up to standard and are more relevant to work so make more sense... people that have not had a good time at school see the reasoning behind them.”
Retention
All apprentices are given an initial fixed term contract which is sufficient to complete their Apprenticeship. They are then provided with support to move on to permanent positions within the College. Around 75% of apprentices will move onto permanent positions with the other 25% moving to other employers. In the past business administration apprentices have progressed to administration assessment posts, some of the sport apprentices have progressed to coaching positions and the accountancy apprentices have completed their AAT and become accountancy technicians.
Expansion
The college is now looking at introducing the Apprenticeship as the standard entry route for all non-teaching posts including security, data management, estates and finance. Andrea views Apprenticeships as the route to growing their own achievers and building on young people’s enthusiasm and keenness.
Apprentice - Business Administration
Amy Watson undertook an Apprenticeship in Business Administration in the Work Based Learning Department. Amy completed her GCSEs and then A-levels in English Language, Psychology and Art before starting her Apprenticeship.
Amy considers that the Apprenticeship has increased her motivation and loyalty to her employer: “I feel more motivated because I am receiving training, formal qualifications that I can take elsewhere. You are not just there to do work you are there to progress.”
She considers that the training gave her a lot of confidence: “it is work related and you get assessed on the job… what you are being assessed on is what you are doing anyway. It is nice to feel you are being guided through and are not just on your own.”
Since completing her Apprenticeship Amy has started a Train to Gain course in Business Improvement Techniques and is hoping to do an NVQ in advice and guidance to enable her to work with potential apprentices: “Because I have been there myself I would like to be going out and talking to others.”
Last Updated: 23/05/2012