As the Skills and Education Group has grown in recent years, we have recruited several apprentices who have made excellent contributions to the organisation.

Our team currently includes two apprentices – Areeba, Customer Support Apprentice, and Ewan, End-Point Assessment Apprentice – along with several other staff members who started their career journeys through apprenticeships and have since progressed to permanent roles within the Group.

The theme for National Apprenticeship Week 2022 is ‘build the future’, which reflects how apprenticeships can help individuals develop the skills and knowledge needed for a rewarding career.

So, to celebrate National Apprenticeship Week this year, we caught up with Areeba and Ewan to hear how their apprenticeships are going and how they are setting them up for a successful future.

Areeba, Customer Support Apprentice

“I have been with the Skills and Education Group for nearly a year now and am coming towards the end of my apprenticeship in the Level 2 Customer Service Practitioner standard.

“Doing an apprenticeship was a difficult step to take after GCSEs, but it has proved to be the best decision. It was daunting at first, as the leap between school and work life is a big one. However, the support of my colleagues and the wider organisation has helped me come so far within my apprenticeship and has helped to improve my confidence and skill set massively.

“The responsibilities I have are based on my ability and not my age, and these responsibilities have also helped me grow within myself. The organisation enables all employees to progress and I look forward to the opportunities that will become available to me when I complete my apprenticeship.”

Ewan, End-Point Assessment Apprentice

“I am currently doing a Level 3 Business Administration apprenticeship where I work in the End-Point Assessment team and complete administrative assignments.

“After I completed a Level 3 Business Administration course in college, I decided I wanted to expand my skill set even more by putting the things I have already learnt into practice, and by developing new skills in a real-life working environment. It would also mean I would be able to gain experience from completing proper assignments rather than just ones created for college scenarios.

“I am now in my third month of this apprenticeship and I have to say it is going extremely well. I have been able to complete all tasks given to me and hand them in to a suitable standard. My role involves tasks like proofreading documents, sending out internal certificates, keeping count of the number of live apprentices, and various other duties.

“I have also been able to develop in other areas so that I can become more involved in the team’s other responsibilities, such as answering telephone enquiries and communicating with people outside the organisation.”

National Apprenticeship Week 2022 takes place from 7-13 February. You can join the conversation on social media by using the hashtags #NAW2022 and #BuildTheFuture, while you can also follow Skills and Education Group on Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook.

Has your organisation considered using apprenticeships to upskill and grow your team? Our awarding organisations Skills and Education Group Awards and BIIAB offer a range of services that support apprenticeships, including end-point assessments and qualifications across a variety of sectors. To find out more, you can visit their websites via the links above or speak to our friendly team.