Wednesday 16 November 2016

Council apprentice is finalist for Apprentice of the Year

Apprentice Hannah Cydnie, from the Registrations Team, got through to the finals in this year’s Public Service People Managers' Association's Apprentice of the Year 2016.

The last stage took Hannah to a training event at Warwick University where she received coaching and guidance from the judges and facilitators and took part in group activities as well as individual exercises. These exercises and activities formed part of the assessment centre to help determine a winner.

Hannah was recruited as a level 2 apprentice in 2015 and has successfully moved onto a second apprenticeship at level 3. As well as learning how to legally register marriages and supporting citizenship ceremonies, Hannah has been a mentor to a Supported Internship.

Hannah said: “I had an amazing time and it was great to see the other achievements people have made in the local authorities across England. It was a great experience and I am glad I made it to be a finalist for such a great award.”

Monday 7 November 2016

Meet the new apprentices at Brighton & Hove City Council

From left to right: Sam, Daniel, Edwin & Chris
There are four new apprentices at the council!

Chris Bubloz and Edwin Davies-Arai have joined the ICT team and Daniel Pruce and Sam Hitchin are new Finance apprentices.


ICT Apprentices


Chris Bubloz

Age: 24
Apprenticeship: ICT Technician
Qualification: Level 2 ICT Professional Competence

I had done 2 apprenticeships before in my previous job and this sounded like a great opportunity to finally do a job I would actually enjoy to do.

I left college in 2012 with a job in the college canteen where I started learning to be a catering manager. I then moved to Brighton & Hove City Council and became the assistant manager within the kitchen. Whilst working there I then found out about all of the apprenticeships the council provides and when I looked into it I thought this would be the best way to get into the trade that I wanted to be in.

I have only been here a month but I already feel my team has provided  me with everything I need to do the job. I feel confident enough to do many tasks now which I didn’t have a clue about before.

After I've completed my apprenticeship I hope to get a full time roll as an ICT technician.

Edwin Davies-Arai

Age: 22
Apprenticeship: ICT Schools Engineer 
Qualification: Level 2 ICT Professional Competence

I worked for a long time outside the field of ICT but this never drew much enthusiasm from me. I took some time to think about what I wanted to do and eventually came to the idea of working in IT which I had developed an interest in outside of work. As I had no qualifications in IT, just personal experience, an apprenticeship made the most sense as it gave me the chance to develop skills, work in the area and earn qualifications. The preference of work over university came from my disillusionment with the education system. I feel like I take more away from a hands on approach to learning and wanted to learn relevant skills.

After finishing college at Varndean I did a year of Art foundation at City College. I decided against university and instead I worked as a project manager for Somnowell and later their sister company Somnowell Marketing. My apprenticeship with Brighton and Hove City Council came about very quickly, the process from finding the opportunity to the start of work was very smooth.

So far my apprenticeship has helped me gain a greater understanding of various pieces of software and hardware. In the most part to do with school servers and systems.

I hope to continue on to be a full time IT engineer, after I finish my apprenticeship.


Finance Apprentices


Daniel Pruce

Age: 18
Apprenticeship: Finance
Qualification: AAT level 2 

Before I started my apprenticeships I was doing A levels at BHASVIC. I then chose to do an apprenticeship so I could earn money whilst continuing to learn.

It has helped me to put my skills into practice giving me a better understanding of accounting and finance, and I've gained lots of friendly colleagues, who have been really welcoming."

I hope to complete AAT level 3 and 4.

Sam Hitchin

Age: 19
Apprenticeship: Finance
Qualification: Level 2 AAT Accounting

I studied business studies in college where I discovered an interest in finance. I thought the best way to get a finance qualification was to do an apprenticeship as it would give me experience of working within different finance teams and I felt it was the best route to get a qualification with the experience of a workplace.

So far I have gained a lot of experience of the financial systems, working in a team, and a basic understanding for finance and accounting processes through college and the workplace.

I hope to continue with the AAT course at Brighton & Hove City Council in order to build experience and complete all of the accounting course levels.

Thursday 3 November 2016

Nursery Apprentice


Laura completed her apprenticeship with Roundabout Nursery and has stayed on with them as a full time Nursery Assistant.

Name: Laura Clarke
Apprenticeship: Nursery Practitioner Apprentice
Qualification: Level 3 Early Years Educator

I thought I wanted to be a primary school teacher or a counsellor, so I thought if I got an apprenticeship in a nursery it would give me a good starting point to do that. It would help me learn more about the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) and I would be gaining experience with children at the same time.

My apprenticeship involved learning the daily routine of the nursery, learning children’s names and any important information about them e.g. allergies, any family issues or if other agencies were involved etc. Making sure I knew the fire procedure and looking through the policies and procedures to make sure I understood them.

I had to attend training to make sure I knew about different topics, especially on equality and diversity and safeguarding. I broadened my knowledge on the EYFS and how we can use it within the setting to develop the children’s learning and understanding. I also learnt how to write planned observations on my key children and see how I could use these to help develop their learning, making sure I recorded notes on them and took photographs as evidence to use on target tracker (a system I can log their progress on). I learnt how the key children system worked, how many each staff member were allowed to have and the buddy system.

My apprenticeship also helped me gain confidence and self-belief, realising that I do know what I’m doing and what I’m talking about and believing in myself would help improve my practice.

I chose to stay on at the nursery full time because I loved working at the nursery, I realised that it was such a rewarding job and you really get to know each child and their families, so I decided to stay at the nursery instead of going on to university. Roundabout Nursery is also a lovely place to work; I get on really well with the staff and really feel part of a team here. Everyone was so welcoming when I first started and really helped me broaden my knowledge and they are always continuing to help me improve and grow through support, opportunity and example.


You can apply to be a nNursery Apprentice on the council's website

Tuesday 1 November 2016

Apprentice Teaching Assistant

Name: Holly Ryder

Job Title: Apprentice Teaching Assistant

Qualification: Level 2 Supporting Teaching and Learning

After I finished college I decided I wanted to get into teaching. I didn’t want to go to university because of the fees. I chose to do an apprenticeship so I could start getting experience straight away and also get paid at the same time.

I mainly work with children in year 4 and sometimes year 3 and 5 as well. I support the kids who struggle most with learning. We do fun activities that help them learn the same things the other children are doing, but at a level which is more suitable for them. I also work with some autistic children we have at the school.

During my apprenticeship so far I have gained knowledge of what it’s like working in a school and I have great experience of working with SEN children. It’s really rewarding when you see the pupils achieve something they had found difficult and I love getting to see them grow and succeed.

I hope to stay at Patcham Juniors after I finish my apprenticeship. I would like to try and get my level 3 and eventually I want to become a fully qualified teacher.

I would recommend an apprenticeship to everyone. It’s an amazing opportunity to gain experience, get a qualification and also get paid at the same time. If I’d known I could’ve done an apprenticeship straight after finishing my GCSEs I might have not have even gone to college.

Friday 16 September 2016

New Planning Apprentices

We have two new planning apprentices who have joined us here at Brighton & Hove City Council!

Caitlin Deller, 18, and Jack Summers, 25, are doing a Level 3 Planning NVQ at Chichester College.

Jack: "After college, I worked in retail for a few years and then moved to administration in the council. I enjoyed working in the planning team so pursued an apprenticeship when the opportunity arose. I chose an apprenticeship as it's a way to become qualified and start a career in a field I am interested in"

Caitlin: "I used to go to Varndean College and I completed a Level 3 Early Years diploma. This course was 2 years, and once I had completed it I was in search of an apprenticeship. I have been in this apprenticeship for almost a month now and am really enjoying it. It is a great opportunity to gain qualifications, learn new things and earn money in a work-based environment all at once. I wanted to learn something new so decided that an apprenticeship would be the best way for this."


Thursday 15 September 2016

New Apprentice Video

Apprentices from Brighton & Hove City Council have created a new short film all about apprenticeships!

They talk about what it's like to work at the council and give advice to people who are interested in doing an apprenticeship.

The apprentices worked together with Little Fury Films

Check out the video





Friday 29 July 2016

Check it out: Amazing Apprenticeships

Amazing Apprenticeships have developed a website to make it easier for parents, teachers and governors to find out more about apprenticeships. 

There's also lots of handy info for people thinking of doing an apprenticeship themselves!

On the website there is an Apprenticeship Pack, which is a free resource that enables students aged 16-19 to easily explore the range of apprenticeships available, including higher and degree levels. It contains 35 interactive tasks and activities for students to work through with five teacher-led summary sessions.
There is also a range of inspirational and informative films, helping to explain apprenticeships.

If you need more information and advice on apprenticeships, then check out the website here!

You can also find Amazing Apprenticeships on Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn.

Tuesday 19 July 2016

Check it out: Get In Go Far

A new government campaign was launched recently that hopes to encourage young people to kick start their career by doing an apprenticeship.

The campaign shows young people, parents, teachers and employers that work-based routes into employment are no longer 'second best' to a university education and highlights the top quality opportunities available in some of the thousands of businesses.

Their new website has lots of useful information all about apprenticeships and pages for parents, teachers and employers.

There's also a section where you can check your eligibility for an apprenticeship.

So, if you are ready to start looking for an apprenticeship head over to the Get In Go Far website and start your career today!

Monday 20 June 2016

Apprentice Ambassador's Facebook Page!

We've now got a Facebook Page!

Like it to keep up to date with all our news and current apprentice vacancies.

Find it here

Wednesday 11 May 2016

Myth Busting Apprenticeship Misconceptions

There are a lot of misconceptions about apprenticeships out there so we've decided to set the story straight!


  • You can't do an apprenticeship if you don't have A-C in functional skills Maths and English

This isn't true! A level 2 apprenticeship is equivalent to GCSEs and you can do your functional skills alongside it.

  • You can only do apprenticeships in traditional manual jobs

There are apprenticeships available in over 250 professions. This includes ICT, journalism, law, veterinary nursing and media, along with the traditional ones, such as construction and plumbing.
You can see a list of lots of different types of apprenticeships here.

  • Apprenticeships are just for people who don't get into university or college

False. An apprenticeship is just a different pathway to university and college. Someone may choose to bypass uni and go straight into the work place via an apprenticeship as they want to kickstart their career and start earning straight away.
Some people do an apprenticeship and then head to uni after, with a better idea of what they should study to get them on the career path they want. Apprenticeships provide qualifications that are equal to college and university levels. There are even degree level apprenticeships now!

  • Apprentices get terrible pay
Apprentices are entitled to the National Minimum Wage, currently at the rate of £3.30 per hour. But that is just the 'minimum' that you can be paid and many companies and organisations pay more.
You can see the average salary per year for different types of apprenticeships here.

  • Apprentices are disadvantaged because they do not have a degree

No. Apprenticeships offer a wealth of different qualifications and training. Apprentices also gain lots of experience and will have many of the skills that employers will be looking for. There are now degree level apprenticeships where apprentices will split their time between university study and the workplace, gaining a full bachelor's or master's degree while earning a wage and getting experience.

  • Apprenticeships are only for young people
Apprenticeships are open to anyone 16 or older. There is no upper age limit.

If you have any questions about apprenticeships, leave a comment and we will get back to you.

Wednesday 4 May 2016

Apprentice Graduate - Liz Moore

Liz Moore
Apprentice ambassador, Liz Moore, has finished her apprenticeship with Brighton & Hove City Council and will be moving to a new job at the end of May.

Liz was a Revenues and Benefit apprentice in the inspectors team and helped with admin work alongside studying towards the IRRV level 3.

Her apprenticeship was taught through Escalla who would come and visit Liz every six weeks to see how she was getting on. Liz was able to complete her qualification in the office and would submit her work online.

Liz will be moving on to her new job at Lewes District Council as a caseworker. She will be dealing with people, benefits, rents and council tax.

Liz said: "I'm sad to leave Brighton & Hove City Council behind and the team I have worked with, but I am looking forward to learning some new things and hopefully remaining in contact with the team I've worked closely with."

"Thank you to everyone in BHCC that made my time here so enjoyable."

Liz is doing a charity boxing event for Cancer Research on Sunday 3 July. She will be doing three two minute rounds. 

If you would like to sponsor Liz visit her JustGiving page.

Wednesday 27 April 2016

Apprentice Gets The Chance To Shadow Councillor

Steph and Councillor Tom Bewick with
apprentices from Creative Process
Post 16 Team apprentice, Steph Baker, recently had the chance to shadow Chair of the children, young people and skills committee, Councillor Tom Bewick.

This was for the Brathay Apprentice Challenge, of which Steph is part of the team for the Brighton & Hove City Council.

Whilst Steph was shadowing Cllr Bewick they went to Creative Process, a training provider for apprenticeships in digital marketing, media and IT.

Cllr Bewick and Steph heard all about the kind of training that is offered and they spoke to some of the apprentices that were there doing coursework for their qualification.

Steph then asked Cllr Bewick about apprentices and how they benefit the council.

He started by saying that the council has around 50 apprentices but he doesn’t think enough young people, around the 18-25 age range, are being represented. He said the number of apprentices at the council is a good start but they should be doing more and “all areas of the council should have an apprentice.”

When asked what apprenticeship he would do, Cllr Bewick said he would be interested in one in advanced engineering, as he isn’t good with his hands and so would like to improve on this.

Finally, Steph asked what advice he would give to someone just starting their apprenticeship and Cllr Bewick said: “Make sure you are getting the most out of the experience. Don’t be afraid to ask for more challenges and training.

“Remember that your opinion is just as valid as anyone else that works there.”

Monday 25 April 2016

The Brathay Apprentice Challenge Community Project

The BAC team
The Brathay Apprentice Challenge team have organised to do their community project with Brighton & Hove Foyer.

The Foyer Federation is a not-for-profit organisation that helps to transform the circumstances of young people who have faced barriers in their lives.

 They provide up to 10,000 16-25 year olds per year with mutually agreed, tailor-made programmes which give the young people access to housing, learning, personal development, training and employment opportunities in line with their needs and goals.

Brighton & Hove City Council’s team will be meeting up with young people who get support from the organisation to put on a table tennis tournament for them.

They will also give a talk about apprenticeships, provide advice and answer questions that the people from The Foyer may have.

The team are going to then organise a mentor service for any of the young people who are interested in becoming an apprentice.

This will enable the young person to have a contact, who has gone through the process of writing a CV, applying and starting an apprenticeship, which they can talk to and ask questions about the experience.

The apprentices decided that they should work together with The Foyer for their community project as they can help the young people who come down to the event, but will also be able to help them over the long run by being a point of contact for any who are interested in an apprenticeship.

It will also create a link between The Foyer and Brighton & Hove City Council apprentices, who will then be able to work together in the future.

Friday 22 April 2016

Council apprentices shadow CEO for the day

Georgia, Geoff & Theo
Two apprentices from Brighton & Hove City Council left their jobs for the day to shadow the Chief Executive of the council.

Georgia Easteal and Theo Duncumb Rogers spent the day with Geoff Raw seeing what it's like to be the CEO of an organisation such as the council as part of the Brathay Apprentice Challenge.

They started their day with a tour of the old police cells museum, which is housed in the basement of Brighton Town Hall.

They learnt all about the history of the police service in Brighton and Sussex, such as the death of Henry Solomon, chief constable of Brighton police in the late 1830s.

After the tour, they returned to the CEO’s office where the two apprentices sat in on meetings, one of which was with representatives from Coffin Mew who were there to speak about, and promote, investment in the city.

Georgia and Theo spoke to Geoff about apprenticeships and what his views were on them.

He started by saying, if he had the chance to do an apprenticeship, he would go for one in creative arts, as he had wanted to go to Art College.

Geoff went on to say that the 18-24 age range is under represented at Brighton & Hove City Council and the demographic makeup of the city should be better represented.

When asked how apprentices have benefited the council, Geoff said: “they bring new energy, new skills and they look at work with a new pair of eyes.”

The CEO said apprenticeships should be available across all areas of council business and he would “Encourage all managers to work hard to bring apprentices in.”

“Why wouldn’t we want to achieve great things?”


If anyone from Brighton & Hove City Council is interested in shadowing members of ELT then get in touch with Lauren Eagle. 

Wednesday 20 April 2016

Blatchington Mill Sixth Form College Visit

Apprentice Ambassadors Rachel and Georgia visited Blatchington Mill Sixth Form College to give a presentation to the students about apprenticeships.

They spoke to a group of year 12s about what it's like being an apprentice and apprenticeships at Brighton & Hove City Council.

The presentation was full of information about apprenticeships, the short film that was made by council apprentices and also included an activity where the students had to guess whether facts about apprenticeships were true or false.

It helped to supply a lot of information in an interactive and interesting way.

Overall, it was a successful day as when the ambassadors asked at the beginning how many of the students were interested in apprenticeships, two people put their hands up.

Then by the end of the presentation, 8 people raised their hands and even more took away leaflets about apprenticeships.

Apprentices Host Webinar

Have you thought about hiring an apprentice, would you like to know more?

The Apprentices of Brighton & Hove City Council are hosting a webinar to raise awareness of the benefits of taking on an apprentice. 

They are taking part in the Brathay apprentice challenge and one of the components of this is to engage with businesses to promote apprenticeships.

A team of apprentices from Brighton & Hove City Council will be hosting a webinar to talk about apprenticeships, their experiences with them, and the benefits an apprentice can bring to a company and will also be able to answer any questions you have around apprenticeships.

Date: 27/04/16
Time: 2pm

Tuesday 19 April 2016

The Apprentice Roadshow & Graduation 2016


The Apprentice Ambassador's hosted the second Apprentice Roadshow and Graduation on Friday 18 March.

The event featured inspiration speakers, ice breaker games and workshops.

Sue Moorman, Head of Human Resources & Organisational Development, opened the event by welcoming all the guests and speakers.

Apprentice Ambassador, Jamie McFadden, led everyone in some ice breaker games which included bingo based on facts about all the guests there, such as 'Who has a cat' and 'Who learns shorthand'.
The Apprentice Ambassadors

The apprentices heard from a variety of speakers throughout the day, including ones from within the council, such as Cheryl Finella, Economic Development Programme Manager, who spoke about the City Employment and Skills Plan and Glen Jones, Head of Workforce Development, who explained the new Brighton & Hove Learning Gateway.

There were also external speakers, such as Money Advice Plus who provided information on finances and Chief Executive of Love Local Jobs, Gary Peters who spoke about his own experience of leaving school and trying to find work and explained that he set up his website so that he could help young people who are in the same situation as he was.

Pinaki Ghoshal 
The day then came to a close with the graduation, hosted by Pinaki Ghoshal, Executive Director Childrens Services.

The event was attended by apprentices working all across the range of services the council provides and gave them the opportunity to network with each other.

Georgia Easteal, apprentice ambassador and chair of the roadshow, said: "It was a great day! The speakers were really interesting and we learnt so much from the training sessions."

"This was such a brilliant opportunity for all the apprentices to meet up and get to know each other."

Pinaki Ghoshal said: "It's a really good event, and it's great to see lots of young people that have taken a different route of employment and it's worked for them.

"This is a really great event to end apprenticeship week on."


The Graduation 















Tuesday 22 March 2016

New Apprentice

Stephanie Baker

Age:
19
Apprenticeship: Standards & Achievement Administrator for the Post 16 Development Team
Qualification: Level 3 Diploma in Business Administration 

Why did you choose an apprenticeship?
I wanted to gain a qualification whilst building on the experience I gained volunteering for the Youth Employability Service. 

Where do you go to college?
My course is run by City College but I complete my work in the workplace.

Background
After leaving school I went to Sussex Downs College in Eastbourne. After being there for a term I found that it wasn't the right kind of learning environment for me so I left. I then took a short course with the Youth Employability Service (YES) and stayed there for a year doing admin and assisting with the young people's group on a voluntary basis. YES then supported me in finding and applying for this apprenticeship.

Thursday 17 March 2016

Planning the Apprentice Roadshow & Graduation

Ambassadors preparing for the roadshow
Brighton & Hove City Council’s Apprentice Roadshow and Graduation Ceremony is back after the success of last year’s event.

The council’s Apprentice Ambassadors will be hosting the roadshow in Brighton Town Hall’s Council Chamber and Ante-room on Friday 18 March.

The event will be opened by Sue Moorman, who will welcome everyone and give an introduction to the day.  There will then be inspirational speakers, presentations, training sessions teaching CV and interview skills, group activities and chances to network.

In the afternoon, Pinaki Ghoshal, Brighton & Hove City Council’s executive director of children’s services, will host the graduation ceremony to celebrate the achievements of all the graduates from the past year.

The ambassadors, who will be managing the day, will be responsible for IT, photography, filming, interviewing and chairing the event.

Theo Duncumb Rogers, communications apprentice and apprentice ambassador, said: “The roadshow is a great idea as it allows all the apprentices from across the council to get together and celebrate each other’s successes.”

“Being an apprentice is a wonderful opportunity and, as an ambassador, it’s great to be able to bring awareness to apprenticeships.”

Wednesday 16 March 2016

Apprentice Vacancies Map

A new live apprentice vacancy map is available on Brighton & Hove City Council’s website and the Apprentice Ambassador's blog.

It gives a clear view of the variety of apprenticeships being offered across the city, ranging from catering and business admin to childcare and personal training.

The vacancies can all be accessed and applied to directly from the map.

The map was created by Luke Sheldon-Edwards, an ICT apprentice at Brighton & Hove City Council.

You can find the map on the council's website or on the ambassador's blog


Apprentice Graduate - Will Kemp

Will Kemp
Local Taxation apprentice, Will Kemp has recently graduated from his apprenticeship with Brighton & Hove City Council and has landed himself with a new job at Lewes District Council as a Revenues and Benefits caseworker.

Will was studying towards a Level 3 IRRV qualification, which he successfully completed. His apprenticeship was done within the office with an assessor who came in at regular intervals to ensure he was completing the work that had been set and could help answer any questions he might have had.

His new job will include answering customer queries and maintaining council tax and benefits accounts.

Will said: "I'm really happy that my time at Brighton & Hove City Council, and passing my qualification, has enabled me to get this job and I would encourage others to go down the apprenticeship route."


Monday 14 March 2016

National Apprenticeship Week 2016

It’s National Apprenticeship Week and Brighton & Hove City Council apprentices are holding and attending a variety of events.

On the first day of National Apprenticeship Week, the council gained a new apprentice. Stephanie Baker is an apprentice standards and achievement administrator for the Post 16 Development Team and she will be completing a business administration course at City College Brighton & Hove.

Stephanie and Theo Duncumb Rogers, communications apprentice, will be attending the Learning, Skills and Employment Partnership meeting where they will speak to employers about hiring apprentices and the benefits they can provide. They will talk about how they got into their apprenticeships, their experiences as apprentices, and how they are promoting apprenticeships through taking part in the Brathay Apprentice Challenge.

Members of the Brathay Apprentice Challenge team will also be attending the launch of the Greater Brighton Employer Pledge, produced by the Employer Skills Task Force. The Task Force has set the city a target of a minimum of 1,000 new apprenticeships in 1,000 days. The team will be going to network and promote their work for the Brathay Apprentice Challenge to employers and advertise future events the apprentices will be putting on.

The Brighton & Hove City Council apprentice ambassadors will also be putting on a roadshow and graduation for all the apprentices at the council.

The morning will consist of an introduction by Sue Moorman, Head of Human Resources & Organisational Development, inspirational speakers, group activities and training sessions.

In the afternoon there will be a graduation ceremony, hosted by Executive Director Children’s Services, Pinaki Ghoshal, to celebrate the achievements of all the graduate apprentices from the council over the last year. 

There will be representatives from Job Centre Plus, the National Apprenticeship Service, Creative Process, City College Brighton & Hove and many more.

The apprentices will also be getting ready for the careers fair being held by Sussex Chamber of Commerce on Monday 21 March. It will be an opportunity to encourage young people to apply for apprenticeships and also to network with employers and training providers.


Follow the apprentices on twitter @BrightonHoveCC
Find more information about the Brathay Apprentice Challenge here
More information on the 1,000 apprentices in 1,000 days pledge can be found here

Wednesday 9 March 2016

Varndean College Apprenticeship Event

Georgia and Trevor at Varndean College
Our apprentice ambassadors, Georgia Easteal and Trevor Lee attended Varndean College’s Apprenticeship Event yesterday to speak to young people about Brighton & Hove City Council and the apprenticeships they provide.

The event consisted of 23 different employers and training providers from a range of job sectors education, social care, finance, creative and digital media, construction and more.

Trevor and Georgia spent the day speaking to Year 11s and college students about what options there are after they finish their education.

They advised people on apprenticeships, what they involved and where they could lead in the future.

Many students said they were interested in doing an ICT apprenticeship and Trevor, an ICT apprentice himself, was able to explain to them all the different kinds of ICT apprenticeships that the council provided.

Georgia, Sustainable Transport apprentice, said: "There were a lot of people who showed a real interest, and it was great to be able to show them all the pathways that apprenticeships create."


Tuesday 1 March 2016

Brighton & Hove City Council apprentices take on the Brathay Apprentice Challenge

five members of the council's team
A team of nine apprentices from Brighton & Hove City Council will be taking part in the Brathay Apprentice Challenge, the search for the apprentice team of the year in England.

The Brathay Apprentice Challenge involves teams of apprentices from organisations all over England competing to be crowned the apprentice team of the year.

The chosen team members include apprentices from finance, IT, procurement, sustainable transport, communications and an electrician apprentice.

They will have to undertake a series of exciting and interactive work-related challenge to develop new skills and showcase their employer by engaging with young people and businesses to promote the benefits of apprenticeships.

The challenges are designed to ensure that the teams demonstrate their teambuilding, leadership, logistical and communications abilities.

The council apprentices will be organising lots of events such as school visits, meeting with employers and doing a community project over the following months to help them win the Challenge and promote apprenticeships along the way.

Team leader, Trevor Lee, said "I'm very excited to have been chosen to participate in the Brathay Apprentice Challenge. This is a wonderful opportunity for us to really demonstrate our skills and learn new ones, whilst also raising the profile of apprenticeships and creating more opportunities for them throughout our city."

For more information on the Brathay Apprentice Challenge visit: www.brathay.org.uk/challenge

Friday 26 February 2016

New Apprentice

Luke Sheldon-Edwards

Age: 20
Apprenticeship: ICT Apprentice
Qualification: NVQ Level 2 ICT Professional Competence

Why did you choose an apprenticeship?
Becoming an apprentice was a decision I made after a lot of thinking about my time at College. I enjoyed the subjects I studied, but I found that the listen/write/repeat method of learning didn’t suit me, and that the few practical courses I had done were much more engaging. For me, the difference was between knowing all these facts, and actually understanding them.

I didn’t want to go to University where I would never really connect with what I was studying. An Apprenticeship seemed like a great alternative to this, especially in the IT field. There are the massive advantages of being paid while you learn, and gaining real work experience at an early stage.

I’m now part of the Web development team in Brighton & Hove City Council. I learn new things and gain new skills every day, and everyone is incredibly supportive and happy to share their knowledge and experience.

Where do you go to college?
The apprenticeship is provided by City College Brighton & Hove, who provide assessors to support you as you work and complete your course.

Background
I studied Biology, Anthropology, Sociology and Psychology at Varndean College. After this, I worked as a part time social worker for the better part of a year before seeking an ICT focused apprenticeship. I was able to join the Web team despite having no previous web development work experience, only an enthusiasm for computing technology.

Wednesday 24 February 2016

Hove Park - Year 9 Options Evening

Ambassadors Georgia and Jamie visited Hove Park School on their year 9 options evening to talk to students about apprenticeships.
Georgia & Jamie with Hove Park PSHE team leader,
Mr Warwick

The ambassadors spent the evening talking to year 9 pupils and their parents and carers. They were able to answer questions and provide information that many students and parents didn't know about apprenticeships. 

Many of them had not realised you could do an apprenticeship straight after school, as some people had thought that college was the only option.

Georgia said, "It was my first school visit as an apprentice ambassador and it was such a brilliant experience. It was great to help and advise parents and students as many people we spoke to were unaware of apprenticeships.

"I can't wait to visit more schools in the future!"

Friday 29 January 2016

'Why my apprenticeship worked for me'

Rachel Maddison
Brighton & Hove City Council apprentice ambassador, Rachel Maddison, spoke to City College Brighton & Hove about why her apprenticeship has worked so well for her and how it can be a great opportunity for young people.

Rachel did a Level 3 Business and Administration apprenticeship, after which she managed to get a permanent position as a procurement advisor.

She will soon be starting her second apprenticeship with the council in Procurement and Supply Management.

Rachel said: "It still astounds me to think two years ago I was unemployed and lacking any kind of confidence or direction and now I'm happy and in a job I love."


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