New Directions’ apprentice Courtney, aged 16, has been gaining first-hand knowledge and skills, while earning her own wage, by supporting our charity’s administration team for over 8 months. This week beginning 6th March 2017 marks National Apprenticeships Week and we therefore recognise and commend Courtney’s achievements, her hard work and valuable contribution to our charity. Courtney is working toward her NVQ 2 in Business Administration and has been assessed with knowledge questions and observations by Sarah Chaplain from Heart of England Training regularly. So far Courtney has learned about databases, spreadsheets, working documents, purchasing orders and general office skills that employers want, becoming more confident and making new friends in the process.
Courtney discovered New Directions apprenticeship role through the Government’s website and getting employment early will give her the potential to progress her career quickly, learn to prioritise her workload and set achievable goals with deadlines. Courtney’s mentor at New Directions, Office Manager Jill Palmer enables her to learn at her own pace, guiding her to move out of her comfort zone and learn from her mistakes while channelling her determination to succeed and find reward in her accomplishments. Courtney has settled in to her administration role and her colleagues motivate, help and support her. The benefits for New Directions of hiring apprentices like Courtney are numerous. Apprentices increase productivity, provide skilled workers for the future, offer enthusiastic talent and fresh ideas, revitalise the charity and make it more effective and competitive. Their training is Government funded and creates no disruption to the business operations.
Courtney said, “I have achieved my initial ambitions since I started working at New Directions. The long hours were challenging at first after leaving school. I have completed training including First Aid and Risk Assessment which I am proud of. Everyone has been inspirational to me, showing me things and working well as a team. I am looking forward to meeting my new assessor and planning ahead for my future career.”
Jill said, “It has been rewarding working with Courtney and helping her meet the challenges of the working world. We have really appreciated her contribution to our work and hope that the skills she is learning now will form the basis of a very successful career.”