Apprentices
Meet our Apprentices
See what our current apprentices and their employers have to say about studying an Apprenticeship scheme at Solihull College.
The Arden Hotel and Leisure Club
Hannah Jeynes is currently completing a Level 2 Apprenticeship in Hospitality & Catering at The Arden Hotel and Leisure Club.
Hannah's view:
“At the Arden Hotel and Leisure Club I am given daily tasks from a diary, which myself and the other receptionists have to complete. My responsibilities range from checking customers in and out, making reservations for bedrooms and tables in our restaurant, taking payments and deposits, answering a busy telephone switchboard, and providing a service to all customers who visit the hotel reception. I mostly enjoy meeting and serving customers as I am a very bubbly person with a happy, motivated attitude to work. All of the hotel staff help me to learn and I can always speak to my manager if I have any questions. In the future I hope to complete other hospitality courses so that I increase my opportunities of becoming a manager. I am so glad to have started my apprenticeship as it has built up my confidence and I have learnt and enjoyed so much in the past few months. I really enjoy working at the hotel and I hope to be offered full-time work once I have completed my apprenticeship.”
Employer view:
“We have been working with Solihull College for many years and during this time we have worked with and helped train many apprentice students. Hannah has only been working with us for a number of months but she has already developed a high level of skills, which contributes to our reception team and provides an excellent service to our customers. Hannah continues to learn and develop, and her quick and effective manner is of great importance and value to our organisation. Hannah’s interest in continuing to learn enables us to give her more responsibilities and we are confident that the amount of training we are providing will potentially increase her experience and work opportunities in the future.”
HideDebenhams
A group of staff at the Redditch-based Debenhams store are among the first retail workers in the country to complete the Retail Skills Diploma at the College. The store is one of only ten selected from 157 Debenhams stores nationwide to pilot the Diploma, which has been developed to equip retail workers with an industry recognised qualification.
Apprentice view:
“The training has given me a deeper understanding of the retail industry and made me more determined to succeed in my role at Debenhams. It’s been great doing it as a team as well, as we can share our thoughts and spur each other on.”
Employer view:
“This initiative is a great way to give our staff the recognition they deserve and reward their hard work. We’re delighted that out of 157 stores nationwide, ours was chosen to pilot this unique training scheme - it’s a real boost to team morale. The service that Solihull College has provided has been brilliant and it’s fantastic to see that upon completion of the Level Two Diploma, some learners have progressed onto the Level Three Sales Professional Diploma and have successfully completed this qualification too.”
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Energy & Utility Skills Ltd
Hannah Griffin is currently completing an Apprenticeship in Business Administration at Energy & Utility Skills Ltd.
Hannah’s view:
“I’m a Business Development Administrator which is a varied role and there is always something new to do or to learn. I haven’t been with the company for long but since I’ve started I’ve met some lovely people who have been very supportive in helping me fit into my role. I have also attended the IET Young Woman Engineer of the Year ceremony at Savoy Place in London, which allowed me to network with some influential people within the power industry. It has been an exciting start to my Apprenticeship and I look forward to progressing with the company.”
Employer view:
“As the National Skills Academy for Power, it is fantastic that we can show the power industry the opportunities of supporting young people in becoming anything they wish at any entry point.”
HideCQI Ltd Embrass Peerless
CQI Ltd (Embrass Peerless)
Sarah Charles is currently completing a Level 3 Apprenticeship in Business Administration at CQI Ltd (trading as Embrass Peerless).
Sarah’s view:
“At Embrass Peerless I have a variety of jobs to do therefore my routine is different every day. I have had to become much more organised so that I am able to prioritise my work and meet deadlines. The most enjoyable part of my job is working with everybody in the office doing a range of different tasks. I am always kept busy and I have recently been given jobs to do that are consistent, for example it is my responsibility to take care of VAT Deferment and to create invoices to send samples off to China. From working at Embrass Peerless and helping out in the accounts department, I now hope to continue my education and complete the AAT accountancy course. Before starting my Apprenticeship I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do, but I knew that becoming an apprentice would offer me the opportunity to gain knowledge and experience within business administration while also allowing me to continue working towards my NVQ Level 3. This has helped me to understand more about my job role and now I hope to turn my job into a long-term career.”
Employer view:
“Having an apprentice has far exceeded our expectations and we were pleasantly surprised with the level of skills and experience that Sarah came to us with. We have found the more work opportunities we have given Sarah, the greater the rewards for us in terms of having a fully active, confident and contributing member of staff. She has quickly demonstrated that she has skills and experience that are practical and valuable to our company. Sarah has fitted into the office environment extremely well and quickly become a well regarded member of the team. She has proven herself to be a motivated and mature person who is willing to undertake a range of tasks in order to make full use of the opportunities offered through the Apprenticeship scheme.”
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Burton
Burton
Charlotte is currently completing a Level 3 Apprenticeship in Retail at Burton.
Charlotte’s view:
“At Burton I have a variety of different jobs to do each day. As a whole I support the running of the store as part of the management team by ensuring all tasks are carried out to a high standard and that we comply to company policies and procedures. My everyday tasks include doing paperwork, processing deliveries, monitoring staffing and making sure as a store we are doing everything possible to achieve targets set by the company. Through doing the course I have learnt how vital it is to be organised and that all aspects of the workplace need to be taken into consideration when making decisions. The most enjoyable part of my job is being able to work with lots of different people and that each day comes with a variety of different tasks, which means I am always busy. In the future I hope to continue to progress and develop with the aim that one day I will be managing my own store. The Apprenticeship has helped me to gain more knowledge and experience in retail which I now use when making decisions in my management role.”
Employer view:
“Having an apprentice has provided a learning opportunity for both Charlotte and her colleagues. Instilling in-depth knowledge has saved us time to deliver in-house training and has allowed us to shape Charlotte into a successful manager. It has also provided her with valuable knowledge that can be developed as time goes on.”
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