• Swindon & Wiltshire News
• Thursday February 17 2022
• Author Name: Peter Davison

New College Swindon celebrates talent for National Apprenticeship Week

New College Swindon rounded off a successful National Apprenticeship Week with an awards ceremony to celebrate the achievements of their apprentices over the past 12 months.

Family, friends and employers were all in attendance to cheer on the winners and recognise their hard work and dedication.

Reflecting on the challenges the college’s apprentices have faced through the pandemic over the past year, principal and CEO Carole Kitching said: “We are so proud of what our apprentices have accomplished and the resilience they have shown in the face of such adversity.

“They have continued to work hard both at college and in the workplace, going above and beyond to support each other and their colleagues.

“We are also incredibly grateful to our employers, who remained committed to our apprentices and to the job of equipping them with the future-ready skills needed to thrive now and throughout their careers.”

New College trains over 1,000 apprentices every year. Of these, 14 winners were recognised at the annual awards ceremony.

Level 3 Plumbing Apprentice Sam Bobs, who took home Outstanding Apprentice of the Year, has been on a journey at the college which has spanned almost 7 years, progressing from Entry Level right through to his Level 3.

“I had seen how successful my grandad had been as a plumber and he’s my inspiration so I decided that this was also the path I wanted to follow,” said Sam.

“Learning a skill that I can have for the rest of my life, that I can take anywhere I go, was a key point in making this decision. I have always learnt best through a hands-on style of learning and I love building and fixing things.

“The taught lessons at college have helped me develop so much and the teachers have been really supportive.”

In addition to the awards ceremony, New College Swindon also held an apprenticeships fair, connecting potential apprentices with local employers and promoting their offer of over 40 apprenticeship programmes.

Ranging from Level 2 (equivalent to GCSE) up to Level 6 (degree), these programmes cover construction, engineering, electrical, digital/computing, healthcare, education, lab science, hairdressing, cooking, business services, management and more.

As part of the college’s commitment to provide better opportunities for education and skills development across the region, the addition of the Swindon and Wiltshire Institute of Technology brings high-level technical apprenticeships and degrees to local learners and employers.

Another highlight of the National Apprenticeship Week celebrations was a breakfast event for employers. Titled Apprenticeships – Back to Basics, the aim was to debunk the myths surrounding apprenticeship recruitment and funding that are making employers wary of the process.

Business development manager, Caroline Maycock said: “Businesses across the country are still dealing with the economic fallout of the pandemic.

“It has had a huge impact on their ability to build and maintain a sustainable workforce, with depleted funds preventing them from making the necessary investment in recruitment and development.

“This event was a great opportunity to discuss how apprenticeships can address these skills gaps and help employers to build back stronger. Apprenticeships provide a cost-effective solution, whether looking to bring in new talent or up-skill existing staff.”

Information about apprenticeships at New College can be found at www.newcollege.ac.uk/apprenticeships/current-vacancies.

Now in its 15th year, National Apprenticeship Week takes place every February and is an opportunity to celebrate the apprenticeship community across England and promote the benefits to both learners and employers.