Frontier House Merchants Quay
Salford Quays
M50 3SR
0161 631 5555
apprenticeships@salfordcc.ac.uk
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Editor-in-chief
Allan Milne
Features Editors
Martin Townsend
Sarah Allen
Louise Jones
Art Direction
George Garner
Welcome
A welcome to this edition from the team.
Sarah Allen talks about the recent updates in the apprenticeship recruitment sector and what the team have been up to over the past few months.
Andrea Marshall, Strategic OD & HR Manager at Salford City Council, reflects on the partnership that Salford City Council has with Apprenticeships at Salford City College as well as giving insight into how the Skills and Employment Strategy sets out our ambitions for making Salford a better place to live and work.
An example of public sector leadership at its best.
Wates reflect on their partnership with Apprenticeships at Salford City College.
Amalia White - Why I chose to study an Apprenticeship.
Ideal Point of Sale Apprentice: Amalia White reflects on her time spent as an apprentice in an insightful interview.
Shining a spotlight on now Apprenticeships at Salford City College support their apprentices.
How Apprenticeships at Salford City College ensures effective learning and development, whilst making sure our apprentices are safe.
How Abbie Thomson is a key member of the Apprenticeships at Salford City College team supporting the recruitment of hundreds of students annually.
Celebrating the 16th anniversary of the National Apprenticeship Week.
Looking at the fantastic partnership we have with The Worsley Marriott and highlighting the success of our Level 3 Professional Chef student Alex Hutchinson.
Looking at how Apprenticeships at Salford City College engage with employers to promote apprenticeships to our College students.
Course
Every year we publish our spring/summer edition of Achieve in early February to coincide with National Apprenticeship Week, and this year is no different. The 6th - 12th of February 2023 is officially the 16th weeklong celebration of apprenticeships all across the country, and we are delighted to celebrating and sharing our successes again this year. The apprenticeship team have a week full of activity, events and promotional work, all of which culminates in our annual apprenticeship awards! The years nominations are better than ever, and we know we are going to have a great evening.
The official theme this year for National Apprenticeship Week is skills for life, a theme which will resonate with all involved in the apprenticeship sector, whether apprentice, employer or apprenticeship provider. At Apprenticeships at Salford City College, we are seeing our apprentices being more determined than ever before to develop the skills they need to ensure they can excel within their chosen profession or occupation. They are recognising the unique opportunity an apprenticeship affords people, with the chance to study, develop skills and carve out a successful career, all while being paid and incurring no study debts! This is demonstrated superbly by our apprentice Amelia (front cover & pages 8, 9). Amelia chose to undertake a project management apprenticeship, and with great support from her employer: Ideal Point of Sale, and she is not looking back.
Over the last decade we have worked with over a thousand different employers, supporting them with their apprenticeship requirements. We are lucky to work with some of the best employers in the region, all of whom are passionate about developing talent with the skills they need for their business. They know that they need ever developing skills sets within their business and that apprenticeships are a great way of ensuring this.
As a large apprenticeship provider, with over 1750 apprentices on programme in the last academic year, we are determined to play a leading role in supporting the skills agenda across Salford, Greater Manchester and the wider region. By ensuring our provision and services are aligned to the needs of the businesses and sectors we work, we can play a huge role in supporting both apprentices and employers to develop the skills they need for life.
A key purpose of intent right across the Salford City College Group is ensuring we provide education for a successful future for all stakeholders. We are delighted that Andrea Marshall, Strategic Organisation Lead at Salford City Council is our guest columnist in this edition. Andrea is passionate about skills development and is a great ambassador for skills and education, not only within Salford City Council, but also within the City as a whole.
Working with employers and other key stakeholders to support our education offer is vital. We are incredibly proud of the partnerships we have with amazing organisations, such as the Marriott Worsley Park Country Club, as featured on page 16/17. The Marriott are passionate about supporting us to develop the best talent for their business, as are many of our other partners.
Thank you
National Apprenticeship Week is rightly about recognising the fantastic work undertaken by apprentices and employers, but we must also shine the spotlight on our brilliant colleagues who work tenaciously to support and develop apprentices. Right across the SCC Group, we have some of the best practitioners in the business. Brilliant at developing talent and creating opportunities for our learners to shine.
Allan Milne Director of Apprenticeships & Employer Engagement ALLAN MILNE Director of Apprenticeships & Employer Engagement
KAREN KENNY Assistant Director of Apprenticeships
I am delighted to have been asked to introduce myself in this edition of Achieve Magazine.
I’m Andrea Marshall, Strategic OD & HR Manager at Salford City Council. I joined Salford in June 2022 and was so proud to join a team and Council committed to ensuring all our employees can develop and succeed in their roles.
Here at Salford City Council, we have a long and successful relationship with Apprenticeships at Salford City College, which allows us to do things a bit differently. Our tailored approach allows us to customise our apprenticeship delivery to incorporate Salford’s values, procedures and ‘local’ requirements, giving us high-quality provision for our employees. We have created bespoke packages in partnership with the college, such as the Public Sector Leadership Programme and Aspiring Managers Programme. The Public Sector Leadership programme is delivered in partnership with other Greater Manchester local authorities, such as Tameside and Stockport councils, to increase the variety, skills, motivation, digital capabilities and behaviours of our collective workforce.
Our Skills and Employment Strategy sets out our ambitions for making Salford a better place to live and work. We strive to be an inclusive and representative employer and endeavour to have a workforce that reflects the people and communities we serve. We want to ensure the council continues to operate as a socially responsible employer and a leader for innovation and change within the public sector.
We know that some of our residents continue to face complex challenges when it comes to finding and sustaining good quality employment, despite the city’s growing
economy, and we want to ensure apprenticeships are used as a catalyst for creating more meaningful and accessible opportunities. We are currently embarking on a project working with young adults from the city to hear first-hand and co-design our recruitment opportunities.
Developing work experience and traineeship opportunities as a pathway into apprenticeships is a priority for us. We also aim for our apprenticeships to raise aspirations and support our priorities to tackle poverty and worklessness by offering the Living Wage to all apprentices and employees.
Finally, we are so proud to have won a Public Services People Managers Association award in 2022 for the Best Partnership / Collaboration for an innovative collaboration between local services, public and private, and not-forprofit sectors. The partnership demonstrated commitment and determination to support local businesses when they needed it the most, upskill staff, and hire young residents by thinking differently for us to gift apprenticeship levy funding. This is much more than this, though, as so many different organisations worked together, including Salford City College, and continue to support one another for greater impact in the future, jointly working towards key priorities for the city.
We began working with Wigan Council on Management Apprenticeships in 2021, having already established a strong relationship through the delivery of apprenticeship programmes in health and early years. The learning and development opportunities already available to the Wigan Team were exceptional and encompassed systems such as MINDSET and COACHING CULTURE to support employees throughout the business with their development goals. We wanted to ensure that employees took advantage of the learning that was already available to them and began a process of mapping existing learning opportunities to the knowledge, skills and behaviours within the standard.
We developed a flexible learning journey which linked apprenticeship learning modules to relevant internal learning to embed and contextualise learning for apprentices. The Wigan Team fully supported the programme’s development, and subject specialists were identified to provide expertise on Wigan-specific skills content, as well as delivery and co-delivery of skills workshops to support the taught knowledge sessions.
Projects are a big part of the level 5 programme. Once the learning journey was established, the Be Wigan Leadership programme was born. As part of the launch strategy for the programme, information sessions for managers of apprentices are offered to enable managers to fully understand the commitment required of the learners and how they could mentor and support learners through the learning journey. These information sessions also provided a great opportunity to start conversations around projects that apprentices could manage that would provide real business benefits and positively impact the organisation.
This early engagement with line managers has been imperative to the apprenticeship’s success. It is a collaborative approach, and managers have been keen to work with the learners, and our trainer-assessors provide excellent opportunities for developing skills and projects that support the achievement of organisational aims and objectives.
The learner induction for the programme has also been aligned to the DEAL 2030, creating our own ‘Apprenticeship Deal’ for each of the cohorts that clarifies the learners’ commitments and expectations and links these commitments directly to the Wigan Behaviours.
‘Our partnership with Salford City College Group to deliver the level 5 ODM apprenticeship started in 2021. From the beginning, we felt Salford was the right fit for Wigan Council as we wanted a training provider who would truly partner with us to co-design a programme that not only included excellent quality of content and teaching but that weaved in the culture, behaviours and unique approach we have through the Wigan Deal. From the beginning, we started working closely with Rachael Holt, Management Training Associate at Salford City College Group, and she became a valuable, extended member of the team.
‘We created branding and an identity for the apprenticeship, which we call the BeWigan Leader Programme. Running throughout the units, we have co-developed bespoke sessions delivered by SMEs from within the council. The sessions complement the key objectives of the apprenticeship and support managers to develop their leadership roles in practice, and topics include: Wellbeing for leaders and their teams, managing a project, recruitment and induction of new staff, and managing budgets. Rachael has fully supported and co-delivered some of these internal sessions with our staff.’
‘In true partnership style, we jointly delivered new cohort engagement sessions and line manager information sessions, which prepare staff and their line managers to start the apprenticeship programme. The apprenticeship is acknowledged as a fantastic way for staff to develop their leadership skills and support their career development, we commence our fourth cohort in April, and we are very excited that our first cohort is reaching the end and completing their apprenticeship. Rachael is amazing and has been with all of them every step of the way.’
We are currently preparing for the start of cohort four in the spring and really looking forward getting the new programme underway.
Wates Construction (a valued Salford City College Group Industry Partner) is delivering Salford Star Academy in Little Hulton. The new 750-pupil secondary school is part of the Government’s free school programme, aiming to deliver new schools in growing areas, and will sit on the six-acre site left vacant by the demolition of Hulton High School in 2009.
Being delivered through the four-year Department for Education ‘Modern Method of Construction’ Framework and designed by Sheppard Robinson, this two-story school will span 62,000 square feet, featuring state-of-the-art facilities, including an allweather pitch and sports hall.
Engaging with Salford City College Group’s Industry Partners programme, which was rolled out in late 2022 to develop strong partnerships between employers and the College, Wates delivered a presentation to students at City Skills to our business and professional construction students. After the presentation, students from Salford City College Group were invited to informal interviews with Jenny Robinson (Community Investment Advisor) and Jamie Bawden (Project Manager) with the possibility of securing a prestigious placement with Wates on the Star Salford project.
We are delighted that Jess and Dylan, two of our level 3 professional construction students from FutureSkills at MediaCityUK, secured these placements and began their on-site placements in November. These students now work with Wates for two days per week alongside their college timetable.
Rendered image of Star Salford Academy
“Wates are a fantastic industry partner, committed to going above and beyond to support our students. They have played a key role in our Employer Curriculum Boards, accommodated our staff for industry development days and offered outstanding work experience opportunities to our students. This support is invaluable, ensuring significant enhancement of our provision, ensuring our students are better prepared for industry needs”.
Jessica, 18 from Eccles says “My placement at Wates has helped me to gain an understanding of the challenges involved when planning and progressing a construction project. I feel that I have learned more about construction sites and how they work by physically being there and watching it in action, putting the theory learnt in the classroom into practice. Wates have provided me with incredible knowledge and opportunities since starting last November. One of these opportunities I will soon receive is to gain experience in my ideal construction route, and will be getting that experience with their partnered architect team, Sheppard Robson”.
Dillion, 17 and living a stones-throw from site says “My placement on the Star Salford Academy site is giving me a great insight into what I want for myself in the years to come. I wish to begin an Apprenticeship in Project Management or Civil Engineering after finishing my Level 3. I have found the ground works side really interesting since being on placement, being able to listen in on the meetings and when walking around site. I am looking forward to seeing the site progress and how the build turns out”.
Amalia is a Project Management level 4 apprentice at Ideal Point of Sale. Our Apprenticeship Recruitment Team met with Amalia for an in-depth conversation about her decision to apply for an apprenticeship upon leaving college. Here are some of the highlights from the conversation:
WHAT WAS YOUR CAREER GOAL WHEN YOU WERE AT SCHOOL?
I grew up in the diverse and multicultural cities of Singapore and Malaysia for 15 years. I have always been surrounded by art from all over the globe. I have been passionate about art, and in particular fashion, from the age of seven. My journal from my last day at primary school stated that when I grow up, I want to work in fashion and art, one day building my own business. When I moved on to high school, I developed an interest in the business side of art, as I began selling my own artwork. Today, I am an apprentice at Ideal Point of Sale, a creative agency that specialises in retail campaigns, where I’m surrounded by impressive designs and artwork every day. I love being involved in the management of these projects.
HOW DID APPRENTICESHIPS AT SALFORD CITY COLLEGE SUPPORT YOUR APPLICATION PROCESS?
The Apprenticeships Team at Salford City College did an outstanding job. They provided me with lots of support and all the information I needed to prepare for my first interview.
HOW IS YOUR APPRENTICESHIP GOING, AND WHAT PROJECTS HAVE YOU BEEN INVOLVED IN?
WHY DID YOU DECIDE TO EXPLORE APPRENTICESHIPS RATHER THAN UNIVERSITY?
I made the decision to explore apprenticeships rather than attend university, as I have always had the urge to enter the working world and gain industry experience as soon as possible.
IPOS Design is very supportive, and I have plenty of study time for my course. I have worked on many varied campaigns throughout my five months at IPOS Design. Clients I have worked with so far include; UGG (Office Campaign Shoot), New Balance (Road Trip Campaign), Skechers (Sticker Campaigns), Herschel Clothing, Mammut, Brompton Bicycles, and Under Armour.
WHAT APPRENTICESHIP ARE YOU UNDERTAKING?
I am an Associate Project Management Apprentice, studying at Salford City College. I am currently the first apprentice to be employed by Ideal Point of Sale (IPOS Design), a creative design agency. I love working for IPOS Design as the whole team has a friendly, highly positive culture.
WE TOOK THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK TO AMALIA’S EMPLOYER ABOUT HER PROGRESS AS AN APPRENTICE:
DO YOU HAVE ANY INFORMATION OR GUIDANCE FOR CURRENT COLLEGE STUDENTS CONSIDERING APPRENTICESHIPS?
There is more than one pathway to a successful fulfilling career, but always research the apprenticeship course and the company you’ll be working for and stay committed, stay excellent and always keep the future you envisage in mind.
Amalia has been a vital team member from the moment she started IPOS and has demonstrated maturity and social skills in dealing with her team and clients and suppliers. She is always keen and eager to learn and willing to work hard and take on a variety of tasks day to day. Her conscientious and polite nature (not a given at that age!) has helped her to become a perfect addition to the IPOS team. I love how she just asks when she needs to know something but always tries to figure it out on her own first. I also find her really inspiring, she does so many other creative things outside of work, she has a real drive which is amazing.
Amalia is ahead of her 6 months goals, and we have just put her on a large project for Under Armour where she will be the primary contact and running the project under the supervision of one of our Senior Account Managers. We all believe she will do a great job; we don’t doubt she will be an incredible Project Manager in the future. Aside from the workrelated skills, she has such warmth and kindness and is a total pleasure to spend time with around the office.
WHAT DID YOU STUDY AT COLLEGE?
I attended College in Stockport, where I studied Art & Design A-level, Graphic Design A-level and Musical Performance Level 4 Btec.
All apprentices should be given the best chance to succeed throughout their apprenticeship and their career. That is why you will be given an individual learning plan to support you throughout their journey.
To ensure that no apprentice is left behind, you will complete an initial assessment for maths and English. If needed, you will then access one-to-one support with our fully-qualified maths and English team; excellent maths and English skills are an essential part of any career path.
Furthermore, any apprentice who requires additional learning support will be given a Cognassist assessment. Cognassist is a support tool which will help us tailor our delivery to ensure your needs are met.
We devise bespoke support plans which will explain all arrangements that will be put in place to make sure that your needs are met. They include monthly reviews with your Trainer/Assessor and enable us to put reasonable adjustments in place.
All our Trainer/Assessors are experts in their fields and will give 100% commitment to develop your skills, knowledge and behaviours.
The aim of our overall support package is that no apprentice is left behind.
At Salford City College, we understand that the transition into an apprenticeship can be daunting. We have a range of support available to help you achieve your qualification and be successful in your career.
Our goal is to remove barriers to learning and ensure that you feel empowered to reach your full potential both in the classroom and in the workplace.
Our dedicated Pastoral Support Officer, works with all of our apprentices, ensuring that you are cared for and have access to dedicated support whenever needed.
Supporting our apprentices is more important than ever. Keeping our apprentices on programme is vital, ensuring effective learning and development, whilst making sure our apprentices are safe, supported & happy. We have a strong Pastoral Team at college and our apprenticeship Pastoral Leader Sally helps a wide range of apprentices and trainees with a huge range of support needs, from financial help to mental health support and well-being.
More than ever we are finding apprentices reaching out for support and Sally supports each apprentice with their individual needs, from supporting with living accommodation, advice on managing anxiety, to helping support with resources such as clothing or food where apprentices find themselves in financial hardship. Each month we have a pastoral focus and tutorials covering a range of topics. January focussing on ‘New Year New You’, with resources to help apprentices with managing money as most people are feeling the pinch in the current economy, and many apprentices are managing their earnings for the first time.
The topic includes advice on budgeting, managing debt and much more. Apprentices all complete mandatory tutorials including British Values, Safeguarding and Prevent and have
Mandatory Tutorials:
• British Values
• Equality & Diversity
• Prevent
• Safeguarding
• Consent
• Staying Safe Online
Here are our tutorial key themes for 2023Apprenticeship Recruitment Team Leader Sarah Allen gives her latest insight into the world of apprenticeship recruitment and a summary of what the Team have been up to over the last few months.
National Apprenticeship Week (6th – 12th February) has soon come around, and I have to share that this is one of my favourite times of the year.
The Apprenticeship Recruitment Team are working hard, booking in presentations and events to help spread the word about how fantastic apprenticeships are. On Wednesday 8th February, we will be hosting our apprenticeships open event at Frontier House. This is an excellent opportunity for those interested in undertaking an apprenticeship to learn more about the benefits of completing an apprenticeship, speak with our assessors to discover more about their chosen career and take away some top tips from our Recruitment Team about applying for apprenticeships.
We will also be hosting our Annual Apprenticeship Awards. This amazing event recognises our outstanding apprentices and our fantastic employers for their contribution to supporting apprentices to succeed. It is always wonderful to hear about the differences our apprentices are making and celebrate their outstanding achievements.
The theme for this year’s National Apprenticeship Week is #SkillsForLife. This theme resonates with the work undertaken by Apprenticeships at Salford City College and the incredible employers we work with, as we are all passionate about supporting our apprentices to develop new skills that they will use in their day-to-day life. All of our apprentices have access to an array of online resources with monthly themes (as detailed on page 11) to further support them in developing their skills. In addition to these resources, the experience of working within a company alongside experienced professionals brings a wide range of skills and knowledge for apprentices to apply both inside and outside the workplace, developing new #SkillsForLife
Salford City College Group is an employer that supports apprentices in areas including Business Administration, IT and Finance. One of these apprentices works in my Recruitment Team. Sheyla is our business administration apprentice, whose job title is Apprentice Resourcer. Her role includes managing our general enquiry inbox, contacting candidates, handling telephone enquiries, supporting the apprentice application journey through attending events, and undertaking recruitment duties.
Sheyla completed a Level 3 qualification in Health and Social Care at Eccles Sixth Form College before exploring an apprenticeship as her next step.
In one of our recent review meetings, Sheyla told me that “before my apprenticeship, I would never have answered a call from an unknown number, and I was nervous about making calls to my doctor. However, my apprenticeship and training from Sarah, my assessor and the Recruitment Team has given me the confidence to do this now.” This is a prime example of how are developing #SkillsForLife.
Sheyla is an excellent addition to our team, and I enjoy supporting her through her development. Sheyla is always on hand to share ideas, implement plans and support the recruitment team where necessary. It is great to see her knowledge of the company and our message grow stronger daily; Sheyla can now offer excellent advice and guidance to our applicants.
Being an employer or line manager of an apprentice is incredibly rewarding. Through training, shadowing and one-to-ones, you observe so much growth in the individual, who in turn values the time you spend with them and the investment you put into them.
If you are considering an apprentice for a role in your company, please don’t hesitate to contact me at sarah.allen@salfordcc.ac.uk or on 0161 631 5555.
APPRENTICESHIP RECRUITMENT & BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT TEAM LEADER
0161 631 5555
SARAH ALLEN sarah.allen@salfordcc.ac.uk
0161 631 5338
07803 496150 www.salfordcc.ac.uk
HEAD OFFICE:
Abbie has worked within the Apprenticeship Recruitment Team for over four years, providing outstanding service to apprentice applicants and employers looking to recruit new apprentices.
Abbie has a wealth of knowledge that she has built up throughout her career. Having originally begun working as a Business Administration apprentice working within the private sector, Abbie later moved into recruitment resourcing as a Job Coach before joining Salford City College Group in 2018 as an Apprentice and Employer Advisor.
On a day-to-day basis, Abbie’s role involves supporting a range of people into work as apprentices. She provides information, advice and guidance people on getting into apprenticeships, finding the right career and matching to suitable job opportunities. Abbie will always go the extra mile to help people, support with CVs, applications and direct people to the right services and advice. Additionally,
Abbie is amazing at working with employers; providing advice on taking on apprentices, funding and supporting the recruitment process to find the best candidates for the job.
Abbie is always developing her skills and knowledge, recently she achieved a Distinction in her Recruitment Resourcer apprenticeship! She is also working with our cross-college teams on our Promoting Excellence CPD programme, focussing on quality improvement and the practical application of skills. Abbie is passionate about promoting our offer and is keen to develop our social media presence. She makes a difference to applicants and employers every day.
Sweet Sixteen, but now is the time for the new era of apprenticeships to come to the forefront!
The 6th - 12th February 2023 is the sixteenth birthday of National Apprenticeship Week. It is the sixteenth time the week-long celebration has been used to promote, up and down the country, the benefits of and the amazing successes that can be achieved through apprenticeships.
Apprenticeships are not new
Apprenticeships are certainly not a new concept and have been around for much longer than National Apprenticeship Week. There is evidence of apprenticeships taking place in the middle ages when a master craftsman would share skills and expertise and sign off their apprentices as competent. In 1563 the Elizabethan Statute of Artificers defined the terms and conditions of a seven-year apprenticeship model. This Statute was not repealed until 1814, with the early formations of the company we now know as City and Guilds, which promoted a broader range of apprenticeships. Over the next couple of centuries, aligned to the vast industrial transformations of the age, apprenticeships continued to develop. The 1959 Crowther Report and subsequent 1964 Industrial Training Act saw the state exert much greater control over apprenticeships, and numbers continued to rise. Modern Apprenticeships were introduced in 1997, with limited impact. The Modern component of the name was dropped, and apprenticeships reformed again in 2017, following a significant review from Doug Richards, whose apprenticeship reforms have subsequently swept across the sector for the last six years.
There are now more apprenticeships available to participate in than ever before, 743 including those in development. After a dip due to the impact of the new reforms and Covid-19, apprenticeship numbers appear to be climbing, and according to the latest census data shared by the Office of National Statistics in January 2023, there is a significant swing in the perception of apprenticeships and the positive impact they can have on careers and occupations.
Ash and Courtney who joined us for the first cohort of Apprenticeships at Salford City College attended the 2020 Apprenticeship Awards Evening to present awards to the 2020 ‘Overall Apprentice of the Year’.
The Richards Review and subsequent reforms have, amongst other things, placed employers at the heart of apprenticeship development. It has also ensured a new robustness and independence of competence assessment through the introduction of End Point Assessments, and by securing the introduction of the apprenticeship levy by law, it has ensured a sustainable and stable funding methodology.
Ask any employer what challenges their business, their future and their profits. The vast majority will talk about skills as being a current and future major issue. Brexit and the pandemic have driven millions of workers out of the UK labour force. Huge skills shortages exist across the foundation sectors of health, construction and
Now is the time for apprenticeships to be taken more seriously than ever before. They have a pivotal role to play in securing the talent and skills that many businesses need up and down the country. Young people or ‘gen Z’, are better informed than ever before on the careers and futures they want; the following generation, Alpha, will be even more aware. Apprentices can be new talent or existing people developing in your business. Either way now is the time for apprenticeships to come to the fore once more. Skills are vital to this country’s economic and social success, and apprenticeships have a huge role to play.
Salford City College Group and Worsley Marriott have continued to grow in partnership in with one aim, to identify talent.
At the end of 2022 the college invited Worsley Marriott to become an Industry Partner. Since then the Executive Chef – Joe Liptrot has visited Worsley College and delivered a masterclass to our learners on his signature dish which was on the menu at the hotel. The Marriott have supported our learners in providing work placements which have proved to be highly successful for both parties. This is highlighted in the success of Alex Hutchinson.
This spotlight piece is to celebrate the partnership but ultimately Alex Hutchinson and the hard work and commitment he has shown whilst on placement at the Marriott. Below are some words from Joe Liptrot, John Barry-inglis, teacher at Worsley College, and Alex himself.
very hard working, clean and well organised chef. Alex picks things up really well and is always asking questions on food and reasons why we do certain things in different ways. I have recently offered Alex a full time job, so when he finishes college, he will join me five-days-a-week, so his hard work and passion has paid off. I enjoy supporting students to learn in the workplace and see that they are as passionate as I was back in my younger days. It’s great to know there’s some good young talent coming into professional kitchens. The thing I look out for in a chef is timekeeping, dress code & to be polite, Alex has all of this and will no-doubt become an excellent chef”.
“I employed Alex into my team in August 2022. Straight away I knew he would fit in well. Alex is a
“Alex joined Worsley College in 2021 and immediately demonstrated a serious talent for cooking. He successfully completed his first year and represented Worsley College in the Northwest Commis of the Year competition & winning a Silver Medal. Alongside his employment with Marriott, Alex is now studying Level 3 Professional Chef and will be representing college again this year in competitions”.
WORSLEY PARK, MANCHESTER, M28 2QT, UNITED KINGDOM
Joe Liptrot, Executive Chef at Worsley Park Country Club
John Barry-Inglis, Deputy Head of Hospitality and Business Enterprise at Worsley College
DELTA HOTELS WORSLEY PARK COUNTRY CLUB
We are really pleased and proud to be an industry partner to Worsley college. It is critical for a hotel to have great relationships with local schools and colleges and form a solid partnership to support and retain talent in the local area. We have already had great success through culinary and health and beauty. Alex Hutchinson who joined us from the college is now a Commis Chef with us and has already made a great impression and is destined for a great career in culinary with Marriott, this is testament to this relationship and partnership and we look forward to growing further in 2023 with more success stories.
I started at the Worsley Marriott in August 2022 and quickly started to fit in. I have a longterm goal of opening my own restaurant, working at Worsley Park Country Club and the GlassHouse at Worsley is giving me a great foundation towards that. I enjoy my work there it’s a great team and I feel I’m developing well. I enjoy the kitchen classes at college as I work with fresh ingredients and it has really prepared me for the hospitality industry. I have been encouraged by the Executive Chef Joe Liptrot and my college tutor John Barry-inglis at all times to push myself to success in and out the kitchen.
Salford City College Group has a strong and high-quality reputation for our work with employers across the region. The College Group has apprentices employed by over 550 employers and works with dozens of employers who support high-quality opportunities for our students. This was recognised when the College Group was selected as finalists in the prestigious Association of Colleges Beacon Awards ‘Employer Engagement’ category.
Here are some of the outstanding opportunities our Industry Partners have provided for our students.
City Skills continues to build strong links with one of our newest Industry Partners – PLF Ltd, who later this month will be welcoming our level 2 Brickwork learners to a Renaker site in Salford for work experience. The Construction Director Peter Kearney has also offered to provide the prizes for the upcoming GMCA Skills Competition being held at Tameside College.
In December we hosted a hugely successful Careers in the NHS event, the event saw students from across curriculum hear from 7 volunteers from 3 NHS departments including Community Service, Widening Participation and Research and Development. Students were able to interact with VR headsets showcasing technology used to 3D print bones.
The BBC celebrated their 100 years anniversary, and our Journalism students and Creative Media students enjoyed a day at their offices in Quay House hearing from the Waterloo Road team, interviewing the new Blue Peter presenter, heard about routes into TV from Screen Skills and broadcasting technology from the BBC Blue Room.
PLF LTD meeting our inspiring brick layers at our City Skills campus.
Two business students from Eccles Sixth Form College on their last day at placement with MBH.
GMI Construction Group PLC invited by Salford Foundation presenting ‘Meet the Business’ at Worsley College.
A Business Administration apprenticeship is a fantastic way to boost your career. It can open the door to employment within some fantastic employers and become an essential part of a team. It can also provide excellent professional development for those already in work.
Gone are the days of Administration apprentices faxing, photocopying and filing, today’s roles are varied and interesting, with apprentices learning about the overall direction and strategy of the business and how their role fits within this. Exploring skills in project management, they will understand the environment the business works in – using tools such as PESTLE Analysis, and they will ensure their behaviours demonstrate the highest quality standards. By the end of the apprenticeship, apprentices will be expected to role model good practice, supporting other members of the team and leading on new initiatives.
This apprenticeship takes around 18 months to complete and is usually delivered one to one with the apprentice although groups can be facilitated on request.
Understanding the Organisation
Value of their Skills
Stakeholders
Relevant Regulation Policies
Business Fundamentals
Processes
External Environment Factors
IT
Record & Document Production
Decision Making
Interpersonal Skills
Communications
Quality
Planning & Organisation
Project Management
Professionalism
Personal Qualities
Managing Performance
Adaptability
Responsibility
When learning is complete, apprentices sit an End Point Assessment which consists of a Knowledge Test, Portfolio Based Interview and a Project / Improvement Presentation. We do lots of preparation to ensure they are ready and this can be a really valuable experience developing skills to future proof their career. To find out more, contact the Apprenticeship Team on: 0161 631 5555 or email
APPRENTICESHIPS AVAILABLE
Building Services Engineering
• Building Services Engineering Craftsperson
• Building Services Engineering Design Technician
• Building Services Engineering Service & Maintenance Engineer
• Building Services Engineering Technician
• Electrical Installation
• Gas Engineer
• Plumbing & Domestic Heating Technician
Construction Craft
• Bricklayer
• Carpentry & Joinery
• Carpentry & Joinery (Advanced)
• Groundworker
• Painter & Decorator
• Plasterer
Professional Construction
• Civil Engineering Technician
• Construction Quantity Surveying Technician
• Construction Site Engineering Technician
• Construction Site Supervisor
HAIR & BEAUTY
APPRENTICESHIPS AVAILABLE
• Advanced & Creative Hair Professional
• Beauty Therapist
• Commis Chef
• Hair Professional
• Hospitality Manager
• Hospitality Supervisor
• Hospitality Team Member
• Production Chef
• Senior Production Chef
APPRENTICESHIPS AVAILABLE
• Accounts/Finance Assistant
• Assistant Accountant
• Assessor Coach
• Associate Project Manager
• Business Administrator
• Customer Service Practitioner
• Customer Service Specialist
• Digital Support Technician
• Data Technician
• Financial Services Risk Officer
• HR Support
• Information Communications Technician
• Marketing Executive
• Operations Departmental Manager
• Professional Taxation/Accountant
• Public Service Operational Delivery Officer
• Sales Executive
• School Business Professional
• Senior Financial Services Customer Advisor
• Team Leader/Supervisor
APPRENTICESHIPS AVAILABLE
• Adult Care Worker
• Lead Adult Care Worker
• Leader in Adult Care
• Lead Practitioner in Adult Care
APPRENTICESHIPS AVAILABLE
• Children, Young People & Families Manager
• Children, Young People & Families Practitioner
• Early Years Educator Early Years Practitioner
• Early Years Lead Practitioner
• Teaching Assistant
• Learning & Development Practitioner
Come along to our Meet the Employer event at City Skills and meet local employers who have live vacancies including apprenticeships, this event is open to everyone. Our recruitment team will be on hand to register you for opportunities. Apprenticeships at Salford City College offer qualifications in: Business & Professional Services, Construction, Childcare and Education, Health & Social Care and Hair & Beauty. Keep an eye on our social media for confirmed employers.
