Apprenticeship provision that continues to grow
South Gloucestershire and Stroud College supports well over 600 employers across the West of England with apprenticeship programmes. This year the college has recruited 700 new apprentices, bringing the total number currently studying at the college to 1,750. This continued growth is a result of the comprehensive support service offered to employers, including a very thorough and extensive recruitment service. Much of the growth is also attributable to SGS College’s long-term partnerships with key employers, both large and small. These include multinational businesses, public sector organisations and, equally important, local SMEs. Sara-Jane Watkins, SGS College principal, said: "Apprenticeships at SGS are growing year on year and we are driven to ensure this trend continues. “The apprenticeship services at SGS are responsive, bespoke, and deliver high quality account management, offering a highly personal and very effective vacancy matching service. “The college is also highly effective at responding to the wider economic needs and over the past four years SGS has worked closely with the local enterprise partnerships (LEPs) to ensure the skills gaps that are being identified by business are met.” One student that has experienced first-hand the vital
role of apprenticeships is Daniel John. Daniel was elated to win not one but two awards last year: Outstanding Apprentice of the Year – Health, Education & Care – Private or Public Sector, and the top award of the evening, Bristol & Bath Apprentice of the Year. His manager at South Gloucestershire Council, Katie West, said: “Daniel has surpassed any expectations I might ever have had about what an apprentice might achieve. “I would have expected someone who is eager to learn, develop and impress. This described Daniel perhaps at the outset of his apprenticeship, but once his self-confidence grew, he has gone on to make huge changes in the council that he has brought about himself, due to his genuine aspiration to make positive changes for others.” Daniel supports the disabled employee group and has facilitated work experience for a school student with autism. In terms of Daniel’s plans for the future: “I intend to do further work around autism, helping to make workplaces more autism friendly. “My ambition is to see the autism employability gap closed significantly over the coming years, as only 32 per cent of autistic adults are currently in paid employment. Through the training I am currently delivering in my apprenticeship, my aim is to raise awareness of autism in the workplace.”
30 | December 2019 | www. punchline-gloucester .com
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