Apprenticeship Newsletter 2021
This week is National Apprenticeship week, an opportunity to celebrate the impact of apprenticeships on individuals, employers and the economy. As an organisation, we are really proud of all our employees who are currently undertaking apprenticeships and building their skills and knowledge to progress their careers. At King's, we have employees from all ages studying in this way. Qualifications such as Team Leader, Commis Chef, Business and Administration and Horticulture and Landscape. Some of our apprentices have taken the time to share their experiences with us all in this newsletter. We hope you enjoy reading them. To ALL our apprentices, past, present and future, thank you for your hard work and commitment to learning.
Did you know...
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Apprenticeships are available up to degree level and beyond!
Apprenticeships aren't just for school leavers, you can apply at any age. In fact, 46% of apprenticeships started in 2018/19 were by people aged 25. The age group with the largest increase was by those aged between 35 and 44, with 21% more starts than in the previous year. (Apprenticeship Statistics UK, 2020)
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Apprentices get paid, which means a salary whilst qualifying, along with all the other benefits of being employed.
Interviews with Apprentices at King's
1 - Da n Urs ell is a Team Leader in the Premises department, currently studying for his Team Leader/Supervisor Level 3 Apprenticeship through East Kent College.
2 - Steve Col lins is Head of Domestic Services and has completed the Team Leader and Supervisor Level 3 Apprenticeship through East Kent College.
3 - Chl oe Watson is Property and Transport Co-ordinator and completed the Business and Admin. Level 3 Apprenticeship through East Kent College.
4 - Pa ul Thomas is a Chef Manager, currently studying for the Hospitality Manager Level 4 Apprenticeship through HIT Training.
Q. How did you get into your current role? Dan - I started at King's as an Apprentice Painter and Decorator and progressed to Painter and Decorator. When the department was restructured, two Team Leader positions became available and I applied. Thankfully I was successful and was offered the position. Steve - I fell into it! I started working for King's at the Recreation Centre as a Cleaner and a Lifeguard. I saw an internal advert in the Domestic Department and went for it. Chloe - I started as a Domestic 12 years ago and then applied for the role of Transport Clerical Assistant. I had a good understanding of clerical work but no qualifications. Over time, I took on more administrative tasks and decided to take up the opportunity of an apprenticeship, through the school. This has benefited me in my current job and will benefit me in any future roles I might go for. Paul - I joined the school when I was 16 as a Trainee Chef at JKS. I was also studying for the level 2 NVQ Professional Chef qualification, at college. Years later, after completing three more NVQ’s with the school through HIT Training, I took on the role of Chef Manager at Birley’s. Q. What did you want to be when you were a child; has this changed? Dan - The dream was to always be a professional footballer. I think my dream career now would to actually be a football manager. I also quite like the idea of having my own ski school in Canada. Either of them would be perfect! Steve - I wanted to be a stunt man but this changed when I was life-guarding at the age of about 18/19. This made me want to be a lifeguard on a cruise-ship, however I couldn't afford the flight to get there so I didn't end up going.
Chloe - I wanted to be an accountant and did work experience at Reeves and Neylan. This might sound strange, but I feel like I am now living my dream job. I wake up every morning and enjoy going to work. Everyday is different and I have learnt so much. Even though I didn't become an accountant, I still deal with budgets, which I love. Paul - I had a lot of different ideas of what I wanted to do, one of which was joining the army. Soon after starting at King’s however, I decided to stay! Q. What benefits have you noticed from studying an apprenticeship? Dan - Learning new skills and knowledge with people that start off as strangers, from all different sectors is something that keeps your mind ticking and engaged in the process. Listening to people’s experiences and sharing ideas, enables you to feel more prepared and able to take on new or difficult challenges. (Also, the student discount can come in handy too!) Steve - I have learnt about proof-reading and improving my communication skills with staff. I have also learnt how to understand people, in general more. Chloe - I have learnt different aspects of administration and tasks that I may not personally deal with, in my day to day role. This has enabled me to work with different people and see what their jo b role entails. It has also taught me to assess my current skills set and understand what further training I need to help me further my career. Paul - I’ve noticed countless benefits from doing my apprenticeships, most notably an understanding of how to go about improving my own abilities and helping other people to ‘up-skill’ themselves as well. I have also gained a much wider business knowledge of the industry I work in.
"Learning new skills and knowledge with people that start off as strangers, from all different sectors is something that keeps your mind ticking and engaged in the process" Dan Ursell Q. Have you faced any difficulties, or challenges during your apprenticeship? Dan - At first, having my King’s work duties alongside the workload of college assignments, research and various presentations to prepare for. It did seem daunting, but setting myself targets and having deadlines has kept me on track and accountable. There has always been help provided from work or the college if I have needed to call on it. Steve - I broke my knee during my apprenticeship, which extended my course! I had a challenge in that no one else on my course had similar work experience to mine, so I found it hard to benefit from the experiences of others and others couldn't relate to my work environment. Chloe - Being a full-time mum and working, whilst completing my apprenticeship was difficult at times. I needed to find the correct balance of studying, working and being a mum. I was very focused and because there are always deadlines for certain assignments, I made sure I kept to these so that I never fell behind. I also found going back to college for my ICT qualifications hard as I had left school many years ago and there had been a lot of changes in that time. Paul - The biggest challenge for myself was doing my most recent apprenticeship (NVQ level 4 Hospitality Manager). It required a great deal of time management to complete the assessments and projects, alongside working full-time. Q. Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
Dan - I would like to see myself leading a successful team and having completed various qualifications after my Diploma. Steve - Hopefully still within King's but maybe in a more operational role (combined with my current Domestic post). King's has evolved a lot during my time here and it is continuing to expand. I would like to see myself in an operational role where we can work together across all sites, putting pieces of the whole King's umbrella together. Chloe - I see myself at Kings and hopefully progressing through Premises, as new opportunities come up. Paul - Still a part of the King’s community and possibly with another NVQ completed or under way! Q. What are your favourite things about working for King's? Dan - I don’t just have one favourite thing about Kings, however if I was to choose one, it would have to be the food. From when I started with King’s 15 years ago, I have tried not to take for granted the brilliant food we are served up daily. I don’t know of many other jobs where you are able to essentially have a 3 course meal each lunch time. Steve - The fact that King's is so well established and offers stability to my work. I have worked in retail in the past and this was far less stable in that you didn't know what your future mi ght hold. Chloe - The different people that you deal with on a day-to-day basis, plus every day there is something different in my role. I love that King's will help and encourage development within the business to people who want to learn and make changes. King's have been extremely good to me and have always given me support in work, with my continued development and when I was diagnosed with my illness. King's really is a community which I am happy to be part of. Paul - My favourite thing about King’s is the people, both the staff and pupils make it a great place to work.
"Being a full-time mum and working, whilst completing my apprenticeship was difficult at times. I needed to find the correct balance of studying, working and being a mum" Chloe Watson Q. Who would be your ideal boss or colleague? Dan - My ideal boss would be Sir Alex Ferguson. He is regarded as one of the most successful football managers to have lived, and to work under his leadership would have been excellent. Steve - I would love to work for Google as their ethos interests me. Chloe - I don't know who my ideal boss would be, anyone that can bring out the best in my work and guides and advises when some improvements could be made, getting the best out of my skills. Paul - Needless to say, the ones I currently have are the ideal people! Q. Has your view of apprenticeships changed now that you have completed one? Dan - I did my first apprenticeship in 2005, a Level 3 NVQ. I think this time round the college side of my apprenticeship is a completely different ball game. Everybody seems in tune with what they are doing and what is expected, and the support feels far greater now than it did. There also seems to be a real understanding of the benefits an apprenticeship can give both the employer and the employee now.
Steve - Yes. I wasn't sure initially if the course I was on was the right one for me, however it has definitely benefited me. I was able to work on my apprenticeship at work and at home, as well as college. Chloe - When I left school, I studied a BTEC at college and had to search for a full time job. I never considered an apprenticeship and only heard about those in trades; plumbing, gas or carpentry. Nowadays my views have changed. I've learnt so much in the 18 month apprenticeship, especially working daily in that industry and this helps when completing assignments and producing evidence. I wish I had investigated this option years ago. Paul - When I first started, my view was that apprenticeships were a great way to improve yourself professionally and progress in your career, which I still believe now.
"When I first started, my view was that apprenticeships were a great way to improve yourself professionally and progress in your career, which I still believe now" Paul Thomas Q. What advice would you give to someone interested in starting an apprenticeship? Dan - Check the criteria you need to meet for the course you are interested in completing. If that all links well and is accepted then I’d say don’t hesitate and get the ball rolling and stuck into it. Steve - Think about what you want to get out of an apprenticeship and just go for it! Chloe - Look at all the different paths you could follow. If you want to work whilst studying and are working in a job you will be able to get the experience in for your apprenticeship, that could be the best route. Especially for people that learn best when able to apply techniques practically to the workplace. I found showing someone my assignments to read over, helped me understand things better. I'm very proud for achieving my apprenticeship qualification and it has help ed me progress in my career already. I would encourage anyone, no matter their age to never think they cannot re train. Always go for your goals. Paul - Go for it, it’s one of the best ways to progress professionally and if or when you need it, assistance and advice is always there from both your tutors and colleagues.
"Think about what you want to get out of an apprenticeship and just go for it!" Steve Collins
Famous Apprentices
Did you know, these celebrities started out as apprentices before they were famous? Elvis Presley – Apprentice Electrician The world-famous singer actually trained as an apprentice electrician prior to signing his record deal. He went on to become one of the most well-known faces of the twentieth century Alexander McQueen – Apprentice Tailor The legendary fashion designer started out his career as an apprentice tailor! He went on to become a household name and won ‘British Designer of The Year’ on multiple occasions. Jamie Oliver - Catering Apprentice After leaving school aged 16 with 2 GCSEs in Art and Geology, Jamie went to Westminster Catering College. It was there he completed an apprenticeship and an NVQ in home economics. Since then he has opened his own restaurant and published countless recipe books. David Beckham - Sports Apprentice Beckham began his football career as an apprentice in the football Youth Training Scheme. He went on to play for Manchester United, Real Madrid, and LA Galaxy.
Feel Inspired?
If you would like more information on the apprenticeships available to you, please contact Shelley Read, HR Assistant: s.read@kings-bursary.co.uk Further information on apprenticeship training is also available at: https://findapprenticeshiptraining.apprenticeships.education.gov.uk/courses