Young people in West Sussex are being encouraged to ‘get in and go far’ this year.
West Sussex County Council is highlighting the benefits of choosing an apprenticeship as a career path.
Jeremy Hunt, County Council Cabinet Member for Education and Skills, visited apprentices – past and present – at Chichester College as part of the recent National Apprenticeship Week to find out more about what apprenticeships involve.
Thomas Hamblin is a Technical Theatre apprentice at the college. He said: “A couple of people I know have done apprenticeships and said it was a really good way to learn.
“There are apprenticeships in loads of different fields and if you know you want to go into a particular field, then I’d definitely recommend an apprenticeship.
“It’s a great way to learn – you learn a lot because you are doing it and I’ve found that’s the best way to learn. And you are still getting paid while you learn – earn while you learn!”
Childcare Officer Hannah Pilcher credits her apprenticeship as helping her career progression. She was an apprentice at First Steps Day Nursery. Since completing her course, she has become a permanent employee at the nursery and was recently promoted to her current post.
She added: “I prefer more hands on learning. I found it was much easier to do my college work that way than if I’d just gone to college and sat at a desk for five days a week.
“It’s definitely worth giving it a go. You learn so much more than you could learn from text books from living that experience.”
Speaking after his visit to Chichester College, Jeremy said: “Young people face many challenges, especially in gaining employment once they have left school or college.
“Apprenticeships can provide them with fantastic opportunities to learn professional skills which will help them as they embark on their future careers.”
Across West Sussex, more than 2,500 people have started apprenticeships over the past 12 months.
And after spending time with Tom and Hannah, Jeremy was impressed by what he saw.
He said: “There are some very talented young people out there who have chosen apprenticeships over another form of education.
“Apprenticeships provide on the job training, allowing people to get paid while they train and to learn while they work.
“There are lots of different types of apprenticeships available. It is a serious option for many career paths and could open up a world of opportunities.
“It is something I would definitely encourage young people and parents of school leavers to look into, to find out more about. Who knows where it could lead.”
Jeremy also met businesses who employ apprentices at the college and added: “One of things that most impressed me was how the college works with employers.
“In their engineering department, they have a number of students who are in the first year of their course. The college goes out and works with employers to match the students to the right role, so that then they can go forward into successful apprenticeships. I think that collective work between the college and employers is really important.”
The County Council has made a short film for parents about the positive impact of apprenticeships, which you can watch on the Council’s YouTube account at www.youtube.com/wsccvideo
For more information about apprenticeships, please visit www.apprenticeships.gov.uk
