Businesses looking to recruit apprentices or use the Apprenticeships Programme in Wales to upskill their workforce can now access a new service for employers.

 

The National Training Federation for Wales (NTfW), which represents more than 100 learning providers across Wales, has appointed a team of specialists to make it easier for employers to engage with the Welsh Government’s Apprenticeship Programme.

 

The NTfW Apprenticeships Team’s mission is to increase the number of employers recruiting apprentices, whilst also encouraging the recruitment of young people into employment sectors of national or regional importance. 

 

Funded by the Welsh Government with support from the European Social Fund, the team will work with employers and interested stakeholders across Wales, with a view to providing a specialist service for all Apprenticeship enquiries.

 

The team comprises two Apprenticeships Programme engagement officers, Sam Cutlan and Andrea Sammon and three regionally-based Apprenticeships Programme development managers, Joanne O’Keefe (South East Wales), Catherine Morris (North Wales) and Rhys Daniels (South West and Mid Wales).

 

Sam and Andrea handle the initial enquiries from employers who complete an expression of interest form on the Business Wales Skills Gateway https://businesswales.gov.wales/skillsgateway/ .

 

Joanne, Catherine and Rhys work with larger employers, especially those who pay the Apprenticeships Levy, to develop engagement and Apprenticeship opportunities.

 

By speaking to employers, the team quickly identifies their needs and which Apprenticeship framework and pathway are required before passing the referral to learning providers best placed to deliver the Apprenticeship Programme in specific sectors.

 

Once suitable provision has been identified, it is then down to the employer to choose which provider they want to work with. The team is totally impartial.

 

From initial expression of interest to the learning provider contacting the employer should take no longer than five days. The aim is to provide a direct line to employers who are seeking information about how to engage with Apprenticeships.

 

A social media and publicity campaign are being launched to promote and drive employers towards the new service. The new referral service is designed to help the Welsh Government achieve its aim of creating 100,000 quality Apprenticeships in Wales during its current term of office.

 

Jeff Protheroe, NTfW’s director of operations, said Apprenticeship provision in Wales was constantly evolving to meet the needs of employers. “We are committed to ensuring that employers in Wales get the service they are looking for,” he added.

 

“The process has been developed in consultation with the whole provider network and we want it to work for everybody.”

Minister for Welsh Language and Lifelong Learning, Eluned Morgan said: “The new referral process delivered by the NTfW makes it a lot easier for employers across Wales to engage with the Apprenticeships Programme and to find the specific service they are looking for.

“By becoming involved in Apprenticeships in Wales, employers are creating a more responsive, motivated workforce with the key skills and experience they need. Apprenticeships deliver real returns to the bottom line for businesses and help employers to improve productivity and to be more competitive.

“The Welsh Government is on course to meet its ambitious target of creating 100,000 Apprenticeship starts during this administration. It’s not just about meeting targets, but also ensuring that the right opportunities are being crated in the right areas so that individuals, businesses and the economy can thrive.”

 

 

Sarah John, NTfW chair, said: “The launch of the new team is another milestone in the NTfW providing a comprehensive service for Apprenticeships in Wales.

 

“The Welsh Government has recognised the need for Apprenticeship enquiries to be directed to one source where employers can receive up to date, accurate advice on the Apprenticeships. This includes understanding in which sectors or jobs apprenticeships are available, knowing which provider can deliver that service locally and answering the key question ‘Is this funded?’

 

“NTfW has, through investment by the Welsh Government and the European Social Fund, been able to employ five key personnel to answer these queries and go out into the workplace to raise awareness, heightening the demand for the high quality Apprenticeship Programmes we have in Wales.

 

“The new team will be a great asset to the 100 plus providers across Wales in meeting the demands of employers and creating the future qualified workforce of Wales.”

 

Learning providers welcomed the appointment of the new team. Hayley Roberts, Apprenticeship vacancy co-ordinator for ACT Limited, said one of the employer referrals that the company had received from the new team had resulted in three new apprentices with the potential for more in the future.

 

“It’s a central port of call for employers who would otherwise have to ring around lots of training providers,” she added. “I think it will help more businesses to engage with Apprenticeships.”

 

Katy Godsell, Cambrian Training Company’s marketing manager, said: “The appointment of this new team is a very positive move to enable the network to raise awareness of Apprenticeships and respond in a more efficient and effective way to the specific needs of employers.”

 

For further information contact Business Wales Skills Gateway https://businesswales.gov.wales/skillsgateway/ or telephone 03301 228338.

Nineteen of the finest apprentices working in Wales have had their hard work and dedication celebrated at a special awards ceremony.

Employers and practitioners who have gone that extra mile in their commitment to work based learning were also recognised at the ceremony, held in the spectacular surroundings of Cardiff and Vale College’s City Centre Campus and hosted by Ross Harries.

The apprentices’ commitment was celebrated at the fifth Annual Awards ceremony held by the Quality Skills Alliance – a consortium of work-based learning providers made up of 23 partners and subcontractors. The awards celebrate excellence and achievement, and the winners were chosen by a panel comprising the QSA’s chair – CAVC Principal Kay Martin – and board.

The overall award for Apprentice of the Year went to JGR Training apprentice Caitlin Perry. Chosen to represent the National Assembly for Wales at a number of events, Caitlin has been a shining example of an outstanding apprentice.

Caitlin successfully achieved her Foundation Apprenticeship in Business Administration – alongside Welsh lessons and customer service training – and three weeks later embarked upon a Foundation Apprenticeship in Customer Service. Since then she has secured a permanent position at the organisation and is keen to progress to a Level 3 Customer Service Apprenticeship.

Caitlin said: “I was so pleased to win two awards this evening. I won the Business, Administration and Financial Services Award and also I won the overall Apprentice of the Year award which I wasn’t expecting at all! There were so many great candidates here this evening and hearing a bit about what they did – I wasn’t expecting to win it! I’m absolutely thrilled to have won the both of them.

 

“I saw in the booklet that there was an overall Apprentice of the Year Award and I thought ‘Well, it could be me but there’s no chance it will be me’. Then when they said my name it took a moment to click! I’m just so thrilled and I still can’t get over it, I’m so pleased.

“My family are thrilled for me; they are absolutely over the moon. I’ve had messages from relatives already congratulating me! It’s just such an achievement and I’m just so pleased that I have won these awards.

 

“I would like to thank my parents for their encouragement throughout the process. Lydia Harris from JGR Group, my college tutor – she’s been absolutely incredible and supportive throughout. And my employer, the National Assembly for Wales – it’s been an excellent experience working there and all the opportunities I have received along the way. It’s been phenomenal.”

 

The ICT Apprentice of the Year went to Matthew Hewer, who is employed by B2B IT Services and was nominated by the CAVC’s risual academy, which is run in partnership with Microsoft.

Soon into his apprenticeship it became clear that Matthew possessed skills and knowledge beyond his years. Passionate about his work, he has been a role model for his peers and completed his framework within nine months.

Selected to compete at two WorldSkills competitions, Matthew also made significant contributions to the College’s cadets and also to the Duke of Edinburgh Award, qualifying as an adult instructor and leader.

Matthew said: “I feel great, it’s an honour really to pick up the award. I’ve got my tutor, Peter Franklin to thank, he’s helped me and put me through WorldSkills. I’ve also got my directors John and Luke; they’ve pushed me near enough to my limit a lot of the time but at the end of the day I’ve learned from it and gained from it.

 

“I want to become a manager. I’ve been able to learn about my field a lot more, within WorldSkills I’ve been able to meet new people that I probably never would have met before and with the College’s knowledge I can just gain from it and keep working towards my goals.”

 

Cardiff and Vale College runs a successful apprenticeship scheme with Deloitte at its Cardiff Delivery Centre. Deloitte apprentice Rob Young won the Role Model Award; an award recognising apprentices who are an inspiration to work based learners.

Rob’s ability to make the transition from an apprentice at Deloitte to fully-fledged employee exemplifies the vocational pathways and parity with other qualifications that apprenticeships offer. One of the first young people in Wales to be accepted on to the Deloitte apprenticeship, Rob has gone on to be recruited to its BrightStart Higher Apprenticeship which allows talented young people to jump straight into the world of professional services.

Rob was chosen for the Role Model Award for his dedication and positivity towards his apprenticeship.

Rob said: “It’s been absolutely great, having attended the College almost two years ago now, doing my apprenticeship with Deloitte and progressing onto a Higher Apprenticeship. It’s been a fantastic evening to celebrate with other apprentices from other companies that maybe you wouldn’t normally get to meet. The networking and events are just as great as the practical qualifications.

 

“Andrew Whitcombe, CAVC’s Dean of Work Based Learning, has been fundamental in my success here. Lisa Styling and Hayley Carpenter have both supported me throughout my apprenticeship. The management team at the College particularly the Principal, Kay Martin, have been very supportive of us individually and of Deloitte as a firm bringing this new apprenticeship into the city.

 

“A very proud moment, I won the CAVC apprenticeship award last year and it’s nice to still be recognised a year on and now actually help other apprentices who are studying towards what I’ve already achieved. It’s great to still be a part of the College and be part of that Alumni.”

 

A Special Recognition Award went to Shauna Holmes. A stand-out student at CAVC’s International Centre for Aerospace Training (ICAT), Shauna always assists her peers and used her spare time to volunteer for Rolls Royce and as a result has been offered an unconditional place on an Advanced Apprenticeship with them.

A beacon in a traditionally male-dominated industry, Shauna received the Special Recognition Award for achieving an unconditional offer of an Advanced Apprenticeship with one of the world’s leading engineering firms.

Shauna said: “We only found out recently that I was going to be an apprentice at Rolls Royce and I wasn’t told I was going to be nominated for any award. I just had an email one day that said ‘You have won an award’ and I thought ‘Oh my God!’ I was completely shocked.

“The apprenticeship is an Advanced Practical Apprenticeship based in Bristol. They do all the engines manufacture for defence engines. I will be working on the line and helping rebuild and strip the engines. It’s amazing.

 

“I would like to thank my tutor, Chris Pilcher. When I came to the College I had an idea of the company I wanted to work for. Chris was determined to change that and widen my horizons and he completely did that, bless him! I’m so thankful to him because without him as a teacher I wouldn’t even have thought of Rolls Royce in the first place so I wouldn’t be here now.

 

“It’s amazing. My family are so chuffed for me and so proud. It’s so nice to even feel that - it’s fab. I’m so happy!”

 

Retiring JGR Training Manager Tish Walters also received a Special Recognition Award to celebrate a long and fruitful career in which her passion for and dedication to work based learning has been unstinting. Cardiff and Vale College Apprenticeships Quality and Data Team Leader Maureen Bielski received the Work Based Learning Practitioner Award in recognition of her exemplary support to apprentices and colleagues.

Employers were also celebrated for their commitment to apprentices. CLEARTECH live won the award for small employer, while the award for medium employer went to ITV Cymru Wales and Cardiff Council won for large employer.

Lloyds Banking Group won the New Employer Award. One of CAVC’s largest partner organisations, the College has recently started recruiting and delivering Lloyds’ apprenticeship programme in what looks to be a continuing partnership.

A special new Innovation and Partnership Award was won by Aston Martin, Cardiff and Vale College’s latest work based learning partner. The College is developing a new strand of apprenticeships with the luxury car manufacturer to develop its Welsh work based learning programme at its new St Athan facility.

Hazel Martin, Director of HR at Aston Martin, said: “It’s a great pleasure to receive this award on behalf of Aston Martin. Over the last two years we’ve built a really strong partnership with Cardiff and Vale College.

 

“We’re really looking forward now to working together to create a tailored apprenticeship programme for the future, for Aston Martin, in St Athan and it’s a really exciting time for us now and we’re really looking forward to it. Now we start looking forward now to 2019, 2020 where we will be recruiting apprentices for the future and this is the vision, to just have really great young talent that we will bring together now to help us make St Athan a success.”

 

CAVC Principal and QSA Chair Kay Martin said: “It really has been a pleasure to celebrate the achievements of each and every winner at the QSA Annual Awards. As a consortium we know apprenticeships work and by developing opportunities for apprenticeships we can have a huge impact on individuals, employers, communities and the economy.”

 

The awards had been generously supported by sponsorship from Focus Training, NDGTA, JTL and Safe and Secure Training. QSA apprenticeships are funded by the Welsh Government with support from the European Social Fund.

 

Award Winner	Employer/Nominator	Award
Henry Deane	Davies Motor Company/CAVCA	Automotive - Body
Brett Skyrme	Edwards Coaches/CAVCA	Automotive - Heavy vehicle
Lewis Williams	CEM Day/Skillnet	Automotive - Light Vehicle
Caitlin Perry	National Assembly for Wales/JGR Training	Business and Financial Services
Joe Price	IS Construction/CAVCA	Construction
Laura Thorne	BBC Cymru Wales/Sgil Cymru	Creative Industries
Thomas Watkins	White Hart Multimedia/Sgil Cymru	Creative Industries
Jack Germain	Centregreat/JTL	Electrotechnical
Ellis Russell	Burton's Biscuits/NDGTA	Engineering
Ria Jones	Elfed Avenue Playgroup/CAVCA	Health and Social Care
Matthew Hewer	B2B IT Services/CAVC risual Academy	ICT
Danielle Hartley-Smith	The AA/Focus On	Insurance Services
Adele Bristow	Pen-y-Bont Nursing Home/JGR Training	Management
Ethan Park	Park Plumbing/CAVCA	Plumbing
Rod Charity	Tesco/CAVCA	Refrigeration and Air Conditioning
Michael Thomas	Cardiff Council/Safe and Secure Training	Sustainable Resource Management
Tibor Cervenak	CAVC/CAVC	Junior Apprentice
Joshua Crew	BAMCE	Higher Apprenticeship
Robert Young	Deloitte	Role Model
Maureen Bielski	CAVCA	Work Based Learning Practitioner
Shauna Holmes	Rolls Royce/CAVC	Special Recognition
Tish Walters	JGR Training	Special Recognition
CLEARTech Live		Small Employer of the Year
ITV Cymru Wales		Medium Employer of the Year
Cardiff Council		Large Employer of the Year
Lloyds Banking group		New Employer of the Year
Aston Martin		Innovation and Partnership
Clive Fleming		Outstanding Contribution
Neil Purslow		Outstanding Contribution
Caitlin Perry		QSA Apprentice of the Year

 

 

To celebrate 60 years of the European Social Fund (ESF), we are launching a competition to recognise the success of individuals whose lives have been transformed thanks to EU Funding in Wales.

 

We want to hear about the success stories of individuals who have seized opportunities presented by the European Social Fund, going above and beyond to develop new skills, secure a job or find a new career path.

 

To take part, sponsors should complete the application form: http://gov.wales/docs/wefo/publications/170905-esf-form-en.pdf  nominating an individual from their European Social Fund project, outlining their achievements and the difference it has made to their lives.

 

We also have a category for all EU projects (ESF and ERDF) to apply. We would like to hear from projects that have successfully  embedded sustainability, equality and/or tackling poverty agendas (the cross-cutting themes) into their activities. This is an opportunity for all sponsors to demonstrate their achievements in this important aspect of project delivery.

 

Closing date for entries: October 20

 

Winners will be announced by the Finance Secretary, Mark Drakeford, at the EU Funds Information Event on 30 November.

 

For more information: http://gov.wales/funding/eu-funds/eu-funds-comp/?lang=en