14 minute read
LOOK BEYOND
LOOK BEYOND THE TRADITIONAL ROUTES TO EMPLOYMENT WITH AN APPRENTICESHIP AT SALFORD CITY COLLEGE OVER
VALUABLE EMPLOYER PARTNERS Spanning a wide number of sectors, our employer clients are crucial to developing our apprenticeship offer and helping people into exciting apprenticeship opportunities. Over the past decade, we have helped over 1,000 employers develop apprentices in their workplace.
APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAMMES Apprenticeships at Salford City College offer 82 apprenticeship programmes. Designed in conjunction with employers, with a focus on key skills that need to be learned by the end of the course, our programmes are great for apprentices who want to go into a specific job role.
INDUSTRY EXPERTS
Apprenticeships at Salford City College have over 60 dedicated team members to help candidates from the beginning to the end of their apprenticeships. Comprised of recruitment specialists, trainer assessors, delivery experts and pastoral support advisors, there is always someone on-hand for apprentices throughout their journey.
OVER
TALENTED APPRENTICES
Over 5,000 apprentices have been supported by Apprenticeships at Salford City College with their future careers.
YEARS OF BRILLIANT APPRENTICESHIP PROVISION We have been one of the leading providers of apprenticeships in the North West for ten years. From our first cohort of ten apprentices, to now having had over 5,000 apprentices on programme, we have been advocates of apprenticeship success since day one.
THE APPRENTICESHIP CHAMPIONS GROUP RETURNS WITH A NEW FOCUS
The Apprenticeship Champions Group was originally formed in 2016 with the main aim of promoting apprenticeships across the city. Key employers representing a variety of sectors came together to act as ambassadors for Apprenticeships at Salford City College. Building upon the close links that they previously established, they are re-launching with a new focus.
With the help of select businesses, the group aims to ensure that the apprenticeship provision meets all local and national requirements. They also aim to deliver excellent apprenticeships and training opportunities for employers and learners across the borough.
Select employers, such as the ones mentioned below, attended the first meeting at the relaunch to provide invaluable feedback. Allan Milne, Head of Apprenticeship and Business Development, chaired the first Apprenticeship Champions Group meeting.
Allan said: “The Apprenticeship Champions group is a key element of our apprenticeship quality strategy. It is essential that we are delivering programmes that meet the needs of our employer clients and wider industries. The champions provide us with valuable and current information on their sectors.
“The passion and support we get from the champions is really insightful.”
JOEY ALLEN Managing Director CARA Brickwork
Joey Allen, the managing director at CARA Brickwork explained: “I am a firm believer that we should be going into schools and attracting students to apprenticeships when they are 14/15 years old. If we do that, then we can show them that there is a different pathway other than university.”
MELANIE O’CONNOR Head of HR, Organisational Development & Training Aspire
One of the key members of The Apprenticeships Champions Group is Frank O’Sullivan, Strategic HR & Organisational Development Manager at Salford City Council. When asked about how this scheme will benefit Salford, Frank said: “Developing a skilled, flexible and resilient workforce able to achieve our ambition of ‘A Better and Fairer Salford’, can only be achieved if we invest in skills and professional development and we continue to attract and retain the best talent.”
Upon finishing school at the age of 16, many school leavers are faced with a hard decision. The traditional route of university, is often instilled into many school leavers. However, apprenticeships are an alternative route that propel school leavers into the working world.
For organisations like Aspire, an adult support service provider, apprenticeships represent a good way of training individuals in preparation for entering the workplace. Head of HR, Organisational Development and Training at Aspire, Melanie O’Connor said: “Groups like this gives us the opportunity to feedback, influence and drive the necessary improvements.”
She added: “If we are part of this discussion and the conversation that says ‘how can we develop the frameworks?’, ‘how can we develop the content?’ and ‘how can we develop all these areas?’, then that can only be a good thing. Having influence and input into the delivery will be incredibly beneficial to everyone involved.”
If you would like to find out more about The Apprenticeship Champions Group, then contact Apprenticeships at Salford City College on 0161 631 5555 or email us at apprenticeships@salfordcc.ac.uk
WHAT OUR EMPLOYERS & APPRENTICES REALLY THINK?
With the introduction of the apprenticeship reforms in May 2017, new funding, digital accounts, new apprenticeship standards and 20% off the job training were all introduced to ensure apprenticeship programmes were better than ever, with more involvement and awareness for all stakeholders.
Collecting, analysing and responding to feedback from apprentices and employers is therefore more important than ever before. Apprentices want to make sure their programme is the right fit for their career aspirations and employers want the best apprentices who are motivated and inspired to succeed in their business.
The surveys are carried out annually by the government department the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA).
APPRENTICE FEEDBACK 2019: BETTER THAN EVER
ALL APPRENTICES WERE ASKED THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS IN OUR LATEST APPRENTICE SURVEY, WITH THE HIGHEST POSSIBLE RATING BEING 10.
SATISFACTION WITH THE LEVEL OF EXPERTISE AND KNOWLEDGE DISPLAYED BY OUR STAFF WHO SUPPORT YOU WITH YOUR APPRENTICESHIP:
SATISFACTION WITH THE QUALITY OF TRAINING PROVIDED TO YOU WITHIN YOUR APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAMME:
9.56 SCORE:
9.33 SCORE:
SATISFACTION THAT YOUR APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAMME IS ENABLING YOU TO ACQUIRE THE SKILLS, KNOWLEDGE AND BEHAVIOURS THAT WILL HELP YOU IN YOUR FUTURE CAREER:
9.32 SCORE:
SATISFACTION WITH APPRENTICESHIPS AT SALFORD CITY COLLEGE:
9.39 SCORE:
EMPLOYERS TRUST US TO GET IT RIGHT FOR THEIR APPRENTICES
Without our brilliant employers willing to invest time, resources and finances into the development of apprentices, the apprenticeship sector would not exist. They play a vital role and we are very proud to work with over 450 different employers at any one time. All of our staff take great pride in going that extra mile for the employers we work with, and that is clearly appreciated and recognised in the feedback below.
OVERALL QUALITY OF TRAINING PROVIDED BY APPRENTICESHIPS AT SALFORD CITY COLLEGE:
THE PROFESSIONALISM OF STAFF DELIVERING TRAINING AND/OR ASSESSMENT AT APPRENTICESHIPS AT SALFORD CITY COLLEGE:
9.18 SCORE:
LIKELIHOOD OF RECOMMENDING US AS A TRAINING PROVIDER:
9.22 SCORE:
9.30 SCORE:
DELIVERING TRAINING THAT REFLECTS UP TO DATE PRACTICES IN YOUR INDUSTRY/SECTOR:
9.09 SCORE:
OFFERING TRAINING AND /OR ASSESSMENT IN A FLEXIBLE WAY TO MEET YOUR NEEDS
9.07 SCORE:
In partnership with Apprenticeships at Salford City College and The University of Salford, Salford City Council have launched The #LeadingSalford Springboard programme. The bespoke initiative is designed specifically for existing managers with high potential to further develop their strategic leadership capabilities.
Throughout the apprenticeship programme, participants will access a unique mix of engaging content, intensive support and leadership skills development for the next step in their careers. There will be the opportunity to grow as a strategic leadership group through structured learning, debate, sharing of best practice and discussions.
The Springboard programme has been created to enable leaders to further develop the skills, knowledge, and confidence to lead highly engaged and motivated teams who are empowered to deliver service improvement and transformation.
Salford Council’s Strategic HR and OD Manager, Frank O’Sullivan, explained: “Our vision is for a better and fairer Salford for everyone. This presents both challenges and opportunities. We have the opportunity to develop different relationships between public services and our communities in finding new and better ways to deliver services.”
Through a ‘learning in practice’ approach, participants are able to drive forward key projects within their current roles and also get the opportunity as a group to address a city challenge set by the initiative’s corporate management team (CMT).
Frank added: “To ensure that we are in a position to respond to the ever-changing environment, we need strong, values-based leadership.”
“Values-based leadership is about inspiring and motivating others to achieve high performance, whilst creating a culture where people feel valued, empowered, and developed to do the very best job they can.”
The initiative aims to demonstrate the spirit of Salford in everything that they do through embedding their values into the services that the teams deliver.
1 6 industries are changing and businesses are looking at new ways to evolve. Frank explained: “What leaders do and how they behave is instrumental in developing a positive culture where all our employees are empowered to develop new ways of doing things.”
“These behaviours and this programme enables our leaders to further develop the values-based leadership skills and ways of working required to be successful in leading our organisation and shaping our city.”
“Leadership is action, not a position.”
Participants who take part in the programme will benefit from a tailored individual development plan, resulting in receiving either a departmental manager qualification, or a senior leader master’s degree/MBA. The level of qualification will depend on previous qualifications, experience to date, job role and opportunity for job stretch.
By completing the programme, participants will not only gain a recognised leadership qualification but they will develop their strategic leadership capabilities.
For more information contact Apprenticeships at Salford City College on:
0161 631 5555 apprenticeships@salfordcc.ac.uk
A Recipe For Success
Helen Sargeant INGREDIENTS:
Apprenticeships at Salford City College Delivery Staff Colleague of the Year 2019
We are extremely fortunate to employ some of the best apprenticeship practitioners, and every year celebrate the amazing work that our staff undertake. Every staff member is recognised, with a day of celebration and team fun, concluding in the annual staff awards. METHOD: 1 .
This year, Helen Sargent, Trainer Assessor in Hospitality & Catering, received the overall award for Delivery Staff Colleague of the Year. Helen has worked in education for the last decade after spending over 20 years in the catering industry, running both her own catering business and also managing others. Andrew Hallsworth, Delivery Leader and Helen’s line manager, could not speak more highly of Helen. Andrew commented: “Helen is brilliant. She is passionate, extremely knowledgeable and the apprentices and employers she supports could not give her any more positive praise.” Living in her home town of Leek, Helen’s commitment to her role is superb. She takes immense pride in supporting apprentices to develop the skills they require to thrive in hospitality and catering sector. Helen has also used her experience and knowledge to deliver on education, management and customer service programmes. This appetite to help and support others is what makes Helen our winner of 2019. 2 . 3 .
Mandy's Message
LOOKING FORWARD
Apprenticeship expert Mandy Shepherd looks ahead to National Apprenticeship week and the imminent Apprenticeship Awards.
National Apprenticeship Week is a significant highlight in our calendar for a number of reasons. Firstly, we all love marking the occasion, to highlight all that is great about apprenticeships. With the ultimate event being our Annual Apprenticeship Awards.
Secondly, it also marks a point in the academic calendar when many young people start to think about their future career. We speak to many year 11 students in the week who are only three or four months away from completing their secondary education. We also speak to large numbers of college based students who are coming to the end of their course and are making very important decisions about their future. We want to be able to provide the best possible advice and help them make decisions about their future. We are passionate about apprenticeships and we will always help young people make a decision that is right for them. It is clear this year that more and more students, teachers and parents are a lot more knowledgeable about apprenticeships and the benefits they offer.
At any one time we have approximately 50 apprenticeship vacancies and during the summer months this can rise to over 100. The opportunities available in terms of job roles and employers are brilliant, covering a range or sectors. Our weekly jobs bulletin is circulated across the city, and the recruitment team are always on hand to provide advice and support about the recruitment process for each role.
On a personal note, since I became an apprentice myself last year, I am even more passionate about helping people develop skills and careers though apprenticeship programmes. I am fortunate enough to be undertaking a team leader apprenticeship programme, developing and improving my skills, knowledge and behaviours as a leader in the apprenticeship team. This is a wonderful opportunity to learn and develop while in my role and I want as many people as possible to benefit from a similar experience.
If you would like to speak to myself or a member of the team, please do not hesitate to call us on 0161 631 5555 .
MAND Y SHEPHERD APPRENTICESHIP RECRUITMENT & BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT TEAM LEADER
0161 631 5581 07540 672 47 6 mand y. shepherd@salfordcc.ac.uk www.salfordcc.ac.uk T M E W
HEAD OFFICE:
STUDY ON OUR ASSOCIATE PROJECT MANAGER APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAMME
COMMENCING APRIL 2020
AND TAKE YOUR NEXT STEPS UP THE CAREER LADDER
This is the biggest sector in Greater Manchester, employing around 27,000 people, with another 95,000 jobs to be created over the next two decades.
A CAREER IN FINANCIAL SERVICES
This broad sector covers a wide range of amazing careers and opportunities. Outside of London, Manchester is seen as the leading city in the UK for financial services. Many large firms are relocating to Salford and Manchester to benefit from the highly skilled and motivated workforces.
Whatever pathway you wish to take, the skills you learn through an apprenticeship with us can be taken with you wherever you wish to go. Most apprentices in this sector are aligned to professional qualifications.
REQUIREMENTS
• Good teamwork • Good listener • Passionate • Good organisation skills • Quick learner
CAREERS INCLUDE
• Project Manager • Accountant • Marketing Officer • IT Application Specialist • Business Administrator • Credit Controller
APPRENTICESHIP PATHWAYS
| PROFESSIONAL ACCOUNTANCY | BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION | | CREDIT CONTROLLER | COMPLIANCE/RISK OFFICER | | CUSTOMER SERVICE PRACTITIONER | DIGITAL MARKETING | | FINANCIAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATOR | IT APPLICATION SPECIALIST | | LEADERSHIP & MANAGEMENT | PROJECT MANAGEMENT |
APPRENTICESHIPS AVAILABLE
Carpentry & Joinery Decorative Finishes Plastering Trowel Occupations Building Services Engineering Plumbing and Domestic Heating Technician Gas Engineer Installation Electrician/Maintenance Electrician Professional Construction
APPRENTICESHIPS AVAILABLE Professional Accountancy Business Administration Credit Controller Compliance/Risk Officer Customer Service Practitioner Digital Marketing Financial Services Administrator IT Application Specialist Leadership & Management Project Management
APPRENTICESHIPS AVAILABLE
Adult Care Worker
Leader Adult Care Worker
Clinical Healthcare Support
Care Leadership & Management
Healthcare Support Worker
Senior Healthcare Support Worker
APPRENTICESHIPS AVAILABLE
Children & Young People’s Workforce
Digital Learning Design
Early Years Educator
Learning and Development
Supporting Teaching and Learning in Schools
Residential Childcare
APPRENTICESHIPS AVAILABLE
Retailer Retail Team Leader Retail Manager Commis Chef Hospitality Supervisor Hospitality Team Member Beauty Professional Hair Professional Hairdressing
/SCCapprenticeships
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