The 11th National Apprenticeship Week (NAW 2018) runs from the 5th to 9th March 2018.
During the week employers and apprentices from across England come together to celebrate the success of apprenticeships, whilst encouraging even more people to choose apprenticeships as a pathway to a great career.
At Pellacraft, we thought it would be a great way to celebrate the achievements of our own apprentices. Over the last five years, we have recruited and trained eight apprentices in all departments. Below we have profiled three apprentices who joined Pellacraft during 2017 to start their career in the promotional merchandise industry.
Ellie is 17 years old, and joined Pellacraft from Vision West Nottinghamshire College. She started her apprenticeship in July 2017 and has thrived in the working environment.
Commenting she said, “Every day I am gaining new skills and knowledge. My willingness to learn and develop myself and my role has definitely benefited the company. My apprenticeship is a work-based qualification, so I spend some of my time working at Pellacraft whilst completing a range of modules online.”
This study route provides Ellie with an understanding of all aspects of business administration and she has become a vital part of the team and her confidence continues to grow.
Soraya is 17 years old and is another apprentice that we've enabled to start a career as a result of our partnership with Vision West Nottinghamshire College.
Soraya started her apprenticeship in October 2017. She had no previous administration experience, so being able to balance learning with workplace experience has enabled her to grow within the role and plays a big part in the completion of many of our everyday tasks.
Commenting, Soraya said, "My apprenticeship is a work-based qualification so I combine working for Pellacraft whilst completing my college course on an online portal with regular visits from my mentor."
Soraya shows great entuhusiasm and thrives in the working environment and it is a pleasure to have her as part of the team.
Matt is 17 years old and has joined us from 3aaa Apprenticeships. He joined Pellacraft in October 2017 with no marketing experience, but is now becoming an integral member of the marketing team. Matt supports the team with their day to day tasks, while building up his knowledge and skill set, whilst gaining important experience of working in a business environment. Matt combines working at Pellacraft with days out of the office, to attend courses and workshops to develop his portfolio of work, as well as undertaking a number of marketing modules and exams.
Commenting, Matt said, "Being able to combine work with a professional qualification is building my confidence, and as a marketer this is very important as it means I am no longer shy of bringing my ideas to the team, and also means I'm adding value to the company."
In conclusion, Pellacraft Director, Sam Pella said, "National Apprentice Week is an excellent idea as the publicity helps to promote the benefits of employing apprentices and how they help young people to start a rewarding career. Apprenticeships work because they help individuals, the employer and also bring wider economic benefits to the community in which they live and work."