Gloucestershire College
After finishing her GCSEs Sinead Smith applied for a full time Business Administration course at Gloucestershire College. She then saw an advertisement in the local paper for a Business Administration Apprenticeship, based at the same college.
Sinead said: “The thought of an Apprenticeship really appealed to me as I would be studying for the same qualification whilst also earning some money. I applied for both courses, but in the end I made the decision to go for the Apprenticeship.
“I joined the Admissions team and initially my role involved basic administrative duties such as filing. and photocopying; I progressed quickly, however, and was soon given more responsibility.
“We are now the Admissions and Student Funding team which means that there are even more opportunities for me to learn new skills.”
“I take part in many different activities and split my time between the Gloucester and Cheltenham campuses.
“I really enjoyed my two years as an apprentice and actually finished the course three months early. I am keen to continue with my training and I am now taking my NVQ Level 3.
“I didn’t really know what to expect from the Apprenticeship but I definitely thought that I would be spending lots of time in the class room. In fact the opposite was true, as much of the course was based in the workplace.
“Everything I learnt was specific to my job and as I didn’t enjoy classroom teaching learning this way was perfect. I also enjoyed earning whilst I was learning! Above all the Apprenticeships have helped me to build my confidence and be more independent.”
Sinead won the National Apprenticeship of the Year category at the National Apprenticeship Awards 2009 in recognition of her achievements.
Karen has worked with Sinead since she joined Gloucestershire College. She said: “The Apprenticeship is really as much about learning life skills as it is about getting formal qualifications. Sinead has grown up so much over the past couple of years; she is an absolute delight to work with and has become a very mature young woman. Last year she also won an Ethnic Minorities Achieving Goals in Education (EMAGINE) award at the college, which was a fantastic achievement.
“We were really keen to keep Sinead involved in the team following the completion of her Apprenticeship and so were delighted when she decided that she wanted to go on to take the NVQ Level 3.”
“Apprentices can have a massively positive impact on a team, supporting colleagues and increasing efficiency. We have won two customer service awards in the last year and I know that Sinead has played an integral part in this. I can honestly say that the team could not function without her. She has gained so much knowledge and experience that she is now able to help train new members of the team."
“Taking on an apprentice does entail quite a commitment from an employer. It requires patience and an understanding that an apprentice will be learning as they work. As an employer you will play as vital a role in shaping the apprentice’s development, as the college will. However working with apprentice’s is extremely rewarding - it is so satisfying seeing a person grow and develop and begin to see what they are capable of achieving for themselves and the organisation”
Last Updated: 23/05/2012