AS SEEN IN THE MANCHESTER EVENING NEWS 

4 March 2019 

Trailblazing is the theme for the  12th annual National Apprenticeship Week, which will run until Friday 8 March. Throughout the week, the Department for Education will be highlighting all the opportunities apprenticeships bring to young people and adults alike. The apprenticeships team at Salford City College is supporting this year’s campaign by showcasing all they do to help apprentices fire up their careers and to help employers find the hottest talent.

Smoulder as an apprentice 

Salford City College is an outstanding provider of apprenticeships in Greater Manchester. The college boasts having over 1,300 apprentices on programme, the majority of whom are employed in one of the key growth sectors in Greater Manchester - health and social care, professional and financial services, construction, education, digital, retail or hospitality. And they aren’t stopping there, the college has implemented an ambitious growth plan to raise this number, with a view of having 2,000 apprentices on programme by 2021. Allan Milne, Head of Apprenticeship and Business Development at Salford City College, said: “National Apprenticeship Week is huge for the college, and we are 100 percent in support of this year’s ‘blaze a trail’ theme. “We believe every apprentice deserves their time to shine, which is why each year, during National Apprenticeship Week, we hold our Annual Apprenticeship Awards in celebration of both our employer clients and talented apprentices. “We also offer our apprentices a unique service whilst they are on programme with us. We employ dedicated Support Officers to care for and assist with any personal issues and struggles. “As a college we believe having this support means they will perform better in their apprenticeship. Support Officers make it their mission to ensure the happiness of apprentices.”

Apprenticeships that sizzle 

Apprenticeships are more popular than ever before. They offer a way to develop the skills of an individual that are specific to the desires of the employer, and gain them a qualification at no cost to themselves. In the 2016 to 2017 academic year, just under half a million people started an apprenticeship in the UK, whilst supported by an employer. This is more than double the amount of people who embarked on an apprenticeship in the 2007 to 2008 academic year – showing just how prevalent they are becoming. Allan said: “The recent apprenticeship reforms have ensured that apprenticeships are recognised by all as a fantastic way to develop a career, without incurring any student loans or study debts. “The government have placed apprenticeships at the heart of the skills system in the UK, ensuring all apprenticeships provide individuals with the skills, knowledge and behaviours they need to thrive in their chosen career. “We at Salford City College provide an outstanding apprenticeship provision. 80% of our apprentices succeed in completing their apprenticeship and go on to further employment, which is an incredible 13% above the national average.”

(Talent and training co-ordinator, Mark Poncia with Heather Beardall, Salford City College Apprentice of the Year 2018) 

Red-hot talent for employers 

Allan said: “Businesses need apprentices to develop their talent and drive their organisation forward. We already support over 400 employers which include both local and national companies. Marks & Spencer, N Brown, Seddon, Salford Royal NHS Foundation Trust and w Group are just a handful of dedicated employer clients. “A lot of these employers choose to work with Apprenticeships at Salford City College because of the brilliant apprentices we provide them with. They recognise our apprentices as being of the highest quality. We work with employers who invest in apprentices long-term, supporting their career development and progression.” But, the college doesn’t only source fresh new talent for their employer clients, they also train and upskill the current workforce, showing just how versatile these qualifications really are. 

(Apprenticeships at Salford City College are Seddon’s Training Provider of the Year)

If you want to blaze your own trail as an apprentice or perhaps you’re on the hunt for some scorching new talent, then contact Apprenticeships at Salford City College on 0161 631 5555 or by email at apprenticeships@salfordcc.ac.uk.