A Head Start

Kidderminster College is celebrating the success of all students on the Young Apprenticeship scheme with 3 young people gaining employment and training with local employers.

Kidderminster College runs the Young Apprenticeship Scheme in conjunction with local High Schools and local employers under the ContinU partnership. For students it provides an excellent opportunity to make accelerated progress whilst still at school and the same time improve their employability prospects.
By successfully completing their Young Apprenticeships local pupils, Laura Arnold and April Hopkins from Stourport High School and Isabel Butterfield from Wolverley High School have each gained a BTEC Diploma in Business, an NVQ in Administration Level 1, plus the mandatory GCSE subjects. They have now already moved on to the Administration Apprenticeship Level 2.

All three girls have secured local employment straight from school in excellent work placements: April continues to work where she began her young apprenticeship – Forum Training, whilst Laura and Isabel are putting their newly gained skills into effect at BILD (British Institute of Learning Disabilities).

Karen Lowry, Supervisor and Mentor at Forum Training, has nothing but praise for April and the Young Apprenticeship programme, commented, “We were delighted to be given the opportunity to take a Young Apprentice. April showed excellent potential from the beginning. She soon became part of our busy team and the extra pair of hands one day a week was very welcome. We had no hesitation in offering April a full time employed training placement at the end of her scheme as she was totally familiar with our office procedures and practices.”

Jane Dunn, Course Co-ordinator for the Administration scheme at Kidderminster College added “I am delighted that all 3 girls have secured work placements. The employers were very impressed with the range of skills and qualifications the girls demonstrated – in particular their vocational abilities. We wish them luck in their Apprenticeship.”

This administrative qualification alone presents an excellent opportunity for young people to gain between 160 – 220 points: 220 points being equivalent to four A* GCSE grades, and at the same time provides them with an NVQ (Level 1) qualification. This in turn makes going into an ‘employed’ Apprentice role, straight from school, so much easier.

Even the employer benefits too, because the added resource that a Young Apprentice can bring to a business is at no cost to them.
Employers or prospective Apprentices who would like to know more about the scheme should contact Kidderminster College Training on 01562 512042 / 7..