South Thames College today held an ‘Apprenticeship Open Morning’ for employers to find out how Apprenticeships can benefit their businesses and employee production rates. The event took place during National Apprenticeship Week and was hosted by the College’s Centre for Employers and Enterprise. The College has an excellent reputation for delivering Apprenticeships in a range of industries including Library and Information Services, Business Administration and Motorcycle Engineering.

One business currently working with the College to train their staff is Morden Park Dental Practice. They said: “We would recommend an apprenticeship at STC. We get constant feedback about how our apprentice is doing and we have a good working relationship with the College. The apprentices get a good well rounded education into the job role.”

Delegates got a chance to watch live demos in the industry-standard hair salon and catch up on government policy. Sarah Horrell, Vice Principal for the College said: “South Thames College is the natural partner for employers looking to deliver Apprenticeships. We are uniquely positioned to offer employers and candidates exceptional facilities, flexible training and value-for-money. Apprenticeships at South Thames College are a fantastic way to enhance morale, improve employee retention and improve efficiency and productivity.”

In 2010 the College launched a brand new Apprenticeship in Civil Engineering which was developed by a consortium of employers and delivered by South Thames. John Hayes, Minister of State for Further Education, Skills and Lifelong Learning said of the initiative: “This type of employer led approach to delivering Level 3 Apprenticeships is exactly the kind of action I would like to see more of.”

With the hike in University tuition fees the qualification is a good option for young people. Apprentices earn while they learn. 19 year old Civil Engineering Apprentice Ersan Hasan said: “I wouldn’t have chosen University because I don’t want to graduate with debt. My favourite aspect of the Apprenticeship is having knowledge and knowing how to apply it. You have skills from day one. Working on big projects on such a big scale such as Crossrail is something I can be proud of and something that I can contribute to which will have a significant impact on London.”


February 6, 2012