TGt Meets...Sharon, New College's Apprenticeship Manager

Meet our latest TGt Meets...Sharon, New College's Apprenticeship Manager. We asked Sharon all about her life at one of the best colleges in Swindon and how she started her career as well as asking her for some advice for those who are interested in pursuing an apprenticeship!

Could you tell us a little bit about yourself and your life before working at New College?

I have worked in the education sector for 28 years, across a wide range of programmes and different age groups. I started on a community programme at age 24 as a HR assistant, progressed to a recruitment role and then into a training coordinator role. I then moved onto to manage adult programmes, then eventually went to work in Apprenticeships.

How long have you been an Apprenticeship Manager and how did you get started?

I’ve been an Apprenticeship Manager for 12 years, after working in the education sector in an FE college. I find my role very rewarding, knowing that I am helping a whole range of people get into their chosen industry and start a career.

What can prospective students expect from the Apprenticeship programme at New College?

The programmes at New College have been developed to provide a professional, well-delivered training experience, with a structured progression route for developing talent within an organisation. There are a range of Apprenticeship subjects and levels on offer from Accounting, Business Administration and Network Engineer, to Laboratory Technician, Digital Marketing and Childcare. Apprenticeship programmes are designed to complement different career pathways, providing training and qualifications from GCSE level, right up to degree level.

In terms of what employers can expect, the College offers dedicated account management, a thorough training needs analysis, help with advertising vacancies and complete support throughout the Apprenticeship programme. The team also assists employers in the

completion of any paperwork and funding applications and also pre-screen and shortlist candidates based on specifications provided by employers.

What are your plans for the New College Apprenticeship programme?

We have plans to expand our training provision to meet the needs of the local business community, in terms of new skills and knowledge of existing and new staff, to enable business to thrive.

What do you think makes New College’s Apprenticeships stand out from its competitors?

I think it’s partly the range and diversity of the subjects and levels. Also the fact that we offer Apprenticeship starts throughout the year and not just from September. We also have really great achievement rates - they are almost 20% above the national average. We seem to attract a great calibre of candidates – we have just run our Apprenticeships Awards initiative and there have been some great nominations from employers for Apprentices that are really performing well in the workplace.

What has been your biggest achievement to date?

I’m personally very proud of the fact that I have grown the number of our Digital IT Apprentices from 0 to 69 in 2 years. We launched these in Infrastructure, Network Engineering and Software Development, closely followed by Digital Marketing and they have really taken off.

How do you like to spend your time off?

I love taking time off to go on tropical holidays in the sun and I also like keeping fit and going to boot camps.

How would you describe New College in 3 words?

Progressive, inclusive and innovative.

What advice would you give to someone who is thinking about doing an apprenticeship?

There are many myths surrounding apprenticeships. I really recommend researching and thinking about the career path you want to take. It can be really helpful talking to others that work in that industry or people who have done an apprenticeship. Carrying out an industry work experience placement beforehand would also be really helpful.

Will there be any changes happening within the New College Apprenticeship programme soon?

We are constantly improving and developing our Apprenticeship offer and standard here at New College - in March 2020, we are launching a Level 5 Operational Management programme. In addition, people may know that we have started due diligence with a view to merging with Swindon College. This would result in a really strong offer and lots of exciting opportunities for development!