Like Apprenticeships JOBS NEWSPAPER
SUMMER 2014
GM apprentices
under the spotlight
at skills awards
ceremony Skills Solutions’ hard-working apprentices were under the spotlight in July at the inaugural Skills for Business Awards, held in at the Hilton Hotel, Deansgate.
Best Year Ever For Academy HE Students Higher Education students at Manchester’s Churchgate Academy, part of Skills Solutions, are celebrating their success after a record number graduated this summer. The Academy delivers a range of Foundation and Honours Degree top ups as well as the Professional Diploma in Education and the Professional Graduate Diploma in Education. The courses are validated by the University of Bolton. Director of Churchgate Academy, Lesley Noone said: “We’re really proud of the achievements of this year’s group of students. They’ve all worked hard and deserve this great success. Many of this year’s graduates are in Early Years and Childcare, and that really highlights the professionalisation of the sector.
“Almost all of our students are in full time employment, so it’s important that we offer the flexibility they need to be able to fit their studies in with their work commitments. Also the fact that our part time tuition fees are considerably lower than full time university courses makes studying at Churchgate Academy an attractive prospect.”
“We’re also offering Access courses for people who don’t have the entry qualifications for university in Health and Social Care, Education, and Business. Our mission is to open up opportunities to people who would have found it difficult to access higher education in the past.” “We’re particularly pleased that a number of this year’s graduates have progressed after completing Apprenticeships with us.” Carl Tanner, who works at Milk, a digital marketing agency in Manchester said: “I did my Level 3 Apprenticeship in Marketing with the Academy, and at the end of that, one of the tutors came in to talk to us about the Foundation Degree in Business Management. I decided to sign up for it. Working and completing this course has really helped me to develop further, I have been able to apply the theory to my work and my work to my theory. It’s been a really enjoyable experience”
The awards recognise and celebrate businesses across all sectors who excel in the training and development of their staff. The ceremony was hosted by Dara O’ Briain, comedian, broadcaster and host of the BBC’s ‘The Apprentice You’re Fired’. Dara announced that apprentices and employers supported by Skills Solutions were shortlisted in four categories at the Awards, the ‘Rising Star’ Award, ‘Top Small Business’, ‘Retail Skills for Business’ Award and the ‘Public Sector Skills for Business’ Award and were delighted to congratulate Tonetec and Manchester City Council for coming top in their groupings. Enterprise apprentice Ciara Fletcher joined Bill Quinn, Managing Director of Stockport-based Tonetech - a specialist supplier of parts for guitars and other stringed instruments who were also nominated in the ‘Top Small Business’ category – to collect their award for ‘Best Retail Business’ at the ceremony. Ciara, Bill and the rest of the team received this award in recognition of their exceptional contribution to skills and learning on behalf of businesses based in Greater Manchester.
Also representing Skills Solutions was Luke Warburton who was one of only five young people in the region shortlisted for the ‘Rising Star’ award. Present at event, Fiona Mellett, Managing Director of Skills Solutions, said: “This is great news for Skills Solutions and I’m especially pleased that both the nominations and the award that we’ve achieved, reflect on the efforts of all of our trainees and apprentices.
“We’re delighted to see company’s like Tonetech excel with the support of apprentices like Ciara; it’s fantastic to see a small business embracing apprenticeships in such a positive way and we wish them the best of luck as they continue going from strength to strength.” The Skills for Business Awards 2014 is supported by Pearson. Full details of all awards winners can be seen here: www.skillsforbusinessawards.co.uk
A P P L Y N O W ! C A L L 0 1 6 1 2 3 3 2 6 5 6 O R O N L I N E A T W W W . s k ill s - s ol u tion s . or g . u k