For course advice call 01536 413123
If you are thinking about choosing an apprenticeship as your route to career success, or are an employer considering taking on an apprentice to bring fresh ideas to your business, then take a moment to read about the experiences of some of our apprentices and their Training Coordinators.
Name: Tom Bird Apprenticeship: Business Improvement Techniques Advanced
Tom has completed an intermediate apprenticeship in Business Improvement Techniques with Weetabix, and has now moved onto the advanced scheme.Name: Jack Young Apprenticeship: Mechatronics Level 3
Name: Isaac Tozer Apprenticeship: Business
Dzintars is an exceptional apprentice, not only because of the high standard of his practical skills but also his consistent, excellent College work and his positive, ‘can-do’ attitude.
Having moved from Latvia in 2012, Dzintars has been driven to make the most of every opportunity and is highly motivated to achieve his full potential. Dzintars was particularly keen to apply for an apprenticeship as he believed he would learn more on the job and gain more practical, hands-on experience in engineering. He wanted to deal with real work scenarios, which cannot be replicated in textbooks or in the classroom. The apprenticeship route allowed him to work alongside some highly skilled professionals, learn the best techniques and gain the greatest knowledge of engineering first-hand.
Dzintars faced initial set-backs when his marine engineering apprenticeship fell through, however he persevered with his dream to become a qualified engineer and successfully completed the Level 2 Diploma in Engineering Maintenance Technology alongside the Energy Skills Foundation Programme.
Dzintars then progressed on to a City and Guilds NVQ L3 Extended Diploma Engineering Maintenance Mechanical Engineering Practices with leading facilities engineering company EJ Musk in 2018. He currently works at Weetabix supporting and enhancing the performance of their engineering processes.
Dzintars’s employers at EJ Musk Process Services, have also been exceptionally impressed with him. In 2019 Dzintars beat 157 other apprentices in the company and was awarded the EJ Musk Apprentice of the Year. This recognised Dzintars’s outstanding professionalism, motivation and the continued care he took to ensure his work was carried out to the highest standards.
Darren Martin, Operations Director at Musk Process Services said: “Dzintars was an obvious choice for our Apprentice of the Year award in 2019. There is never anything but positive feedback about his work and attitude, and that has come from multiple colleagues of his in various roles. Despite being an apprentice, Dzintars is seen as the “go to guy” in the team to get jobs done at Weetabix where he is based. He always takes a positive approach to his work and drives his own development, having practised and learned skills beyond those which are required at each stage of his apprenticeship.”
Dzintars is now one of the most experience apprentices in his company and he has been given the responsibility to lead jobs and train new staff coming into the company. He has also completed the following training courses in addition to his apprenticeship: Confined Space Entry (Escape Sets): Counterbalance Forklift Truck; Mobile Elevating Work Platforms - IPAF (3A), (3B); Slinger / Signaller; Introduction to 5S.
Name: Mark Harrison
Name: Nathan Balfour
Name: Gerry Cooney
Name: Laura Start
Name: Clare Shemilt
Clare has a wide range of experience in industry. She completed an apprenticeship in Customer Service while working as a Hotel Assistant Manager, and even has a thank you letter from the Queen’s Anniversary Prizes Office for an event she ran - quite an accolade! Clare had always enjoyed training staff and supporting them in upskilling, so with her experience and qualification combined, a role in assessing was a natural progression. “I moved from Kent last year and wanted to find a more local position, as I was commuting nationally, so this was a perfect choice,” says Clare, who has been an Assessor for 11 years. Other roles that Clare has had include AEB Manger, Recruitment and Careers Advisor and Training and Business Development Manager, working in partnership with local councils and charitable organisations to large private companies. “I have been heavily involved in the education sector supporting the unemployed back into work, running short course programmes and acting as a careers advisor across various sectors for apprenticeships to educate about the options available,” explains Clare. Back at the College, Clare’s biggest achievement has been producing a delivery model to support the new Level 3 Business programme delivery standards, in order to help employers understand how the standards work. She says her cognitive flexibility is her biggest strength, enabling her to adapt to different learners, employers and how she communicates with them. “Apprentices have chosen this route into employment and are keen and enthusiastic to learn new skills. They bring new energy into the business with a thirst for knowledge.”Name: Mark Godwin
Name: Chris Weller
Name: Lisa Waller
Department: Care and Early Years
Although fairly new to her role as an Apprenticeship Assessor, Lisa has known that she wanted to become an Assessor ever since she started working in childcare and education 10 years ago. “I remember meeting one of my colleague’s Assessors when I first worked in a nursery and talked to them about their role. From that point it was my goal to become one,” explains Lisa. “I enjoy seeing learners achieve and seeing them learn and progress in their job role.”
Lisa has a wealth of experience in industry, having held a range of positions in the private and public sectors. She has worked closely with unprivileged children and families as a Nursery Nurse and Senior Early Years Educator at a children’s centre, as a Teaching Assistant in various primary schools and as a Nursery Supervisor for a nursery chain.
Another big organisation that Lisa has experience with is Milton Keynes Council, whom she worked for as an Ethnic Minority Language Support Worker, supporting children in schools across Milton Keynes. She has also travelled to work as a Kindergarten English Teacher in an orphanage for a year abroad.
Lisa enjoys the interaction and communication with employers and learners that is a pivotal part of her role and is always keen to highlight to employers the drive and passion that apprentices possess; “they are so committed,” she says.