Surrey and Hampshire Apprenticeship Graduation
The first ever graduation for Advanced and Higher Apprentices in Surrey and Hampshire took place in the wonderful surroundings of Guildford Cathedral on 24th June 2015. Enterprise M3, Association of Employment and Learning Providers, Surrey County Council sponsored the event which was organised by The Association of Learning Providers Surrey and Association of Learning Providers for Hampshire and the Isle of Wight. Training providers and employers proudly supported their Apprentices who graduated at Advanced or Higher level across many sectors including Engineering, Horse Management, Early Years, Catering and Business.
Just under 200 Apprentices received their awards which were presented to them by Peter Martin, Deputy Leader for Surrey County Council and Enterprise M3 Board member and Rachel McKellar, Director of The Skills Funding Agency. Louise Punter, CEO of The Chamber of Commerce and Enterprise M3 Board member opened the event and congratulated the Apprentices in achieving their awards. Louise gave an inspiring account of ten things they would need in their working life, including being organised and the importance of planning and time management. Peter spoke of the support that Surrey County Council had given Apprentices and employers in the Surrey area and that he was proud to see so many Apprentices graduating. Paul Wilson, NESCOT College, was the Master of Ceremony for the day and did a fantastic job inviting the apprentices to receive their awards, each Apprentice received a medal and a certificate.
Enterprise M3 Apprenticeship Ambassador, Janice Clark, Talent Development Manager at Enterprise rent-a-car proudly spoke of the large number of employees within her organisation who follow the Apprenticeship scheme offering progression pathways which supports the ethos of the company. Chelsea Roberts spoke of her Apprenticeship experience at Enterprise rent-a-car. She started working for Enterprise rent-a-car as a temp and was asked to attend an interview, she was taken on as full time and has now just completed her Advanced Apprenticeship and is going to continue with her learning to do a Higher Apprenticeship in Management.
Ceremonies such as these help to raise the profile of Apprenticeships and puts them on an equal footing with a university route to success. Apprenticeships bring considerable value to organisation, employers, individuals and the economy. Business across the Enterprise M3 area are increasingly realising the enormous benefits that Apprenticeships create, not only in terms of developing a highly skilled workforce but also by boosting productivity and staff retention.
Advice on Apprentices
If you'd like to find out about getting your own apprentice then visit our apprenticeship advice pageapprenticeship advice page .
