Apprenticeship successes

South Derbyshire District Council (SDDC) is sharing feedback from some of its apprentices as part of the National Apprenticeship Week 2024 campaign.

Apprenticeships are important to SDDC and have delivered excellent outcomes for the council and for the individuals involved.

Since 2020, eight out of 12 of the council’s services have hosted at least one apprenticeship, with a total of 18 hosted during this period.

Of those who have completed an apprenticeship with SDDC since 2020, 80% went on to remain in the council’s employment.

Last year saw three employees, including Senior Licensing Officer Emma McHugh who has been with the authority for ten years, begin their upskilling via an apprenticeship.

The council currently has ten apprentices, working at all levels. They include two Level 7 town planners, a Level 3 LGV mechanic, and a Level 3 digital support technician.

Speaking of her apprenticeship, HR Business Administrator Level 3 Apprentice Zoe Briers said: “I chose an apprenticeship because it pays you to learn and allows you to gain skills and experience whilst working towards achieving a qualification.”

Talking about what has made an apprenticeship work for her, Level 3 Business Administration Apprenticeship (Housing department) Courtney Wain said: “Being an apprentice, I worked in all areas of the housing department, so I have a wide range of knowledge and experience from this and not just in one area. Always learning new things so I never got bored at my job.”

Fiona Pittam, Head of Organisational Development and Performance at SDDC, said: “Apprentices are a valuable part of our workforce – apprenticeships allow people to develop skills in their area of interest, offer a great foundation for a career, and provide development opportunities to those already following their chosen career path.

“We are very proud of our apprentices and what they continue to achieve.”

Also, as part of the week SDDC is hosting a short talk from colleagues at Burton and South Derbyshire College explaining the latest government initiative, T Levels.

T Levels are a combination of work placement and A level studies, where employers provide the student’s placement hours for their qualification.

The talk is taking place today (8 February) via Microsoft Teams and all relevant SDDC officers have been encouraged to attend.

8 February 2024