Nelson and Colne College has marked National Apprenticeship Week and National Careers Week with an action-packed agenda of celebratory activities.
The college, which is second in the country for its 16-18 Apprenticeship success, joined educations providers, employers and students up and down the country in celebrating Apprenticeships and Traineeships and the positive impact they have on individuals, businesses and the wider economy.
Highlights included an Internal Careers Expo on Wednesday where more than 900 college students engaged with 40-plus employers and universities, and Principal Amanda Melton closed the week of activities on Friday by going ‘Back to the Floor’ on a visit to one of the college’s employer partners, internationally-renowned lighting specialists acdc.
During the visit to acdc, Amanda met the Board of Directors, had a tour of the Barrowford factory and chatted to Apprentices about their roles and how the Apprenticeship programme is developing their skillset personally and professionally.
Amanda said: “I had an absolutely fantastic time at acdc and I was fascinated to learn more about how the business works and embeds Apprentices into its culture and day to day business operations.
“It was great to meet a number of those employees on my tour of the factory who have chosen the Apprenticeship route to upskill, benefiting the business and their career progression. I believe Apprenticeships are essential to supporting a thriving economy and the opportunities available through Apprenticeships are vast. I’m thrilled that acdc and its staff are embracing these opportunities fully.”
Simon Stead, People Director at acdc and NCC’s Enterprise Advisor said: “The company was delighted to welcome Amanda in to bring to a close the celebrations of National Apprenticeship Week and National Careers Week.
“As the college’s Enterprise Advisor, it was an ideal opportunity to strengthen the relationship we have with Nelson and Colne College who continue to deliver outstanding results for young people in Pendle and its surrounding areas.
“For acdc, it has been an extremely useful week and we had a lot of students approaching us at the Careers Expo to find out more about what we do and ask about Apprenticeship, internship and work experience opportunities. We want to continue to support the community and establish some of our core values and I was thrilled to see the enthusiasm students had for our company.”
Level 3 ICT Networking Systems Support student Hamid Minhas was one of those students attending the Careers Expo. The 18-year-old said: “The Expo was really useful for students. There was a great choice of stands across so many different industries. I’m looking to do motion graphics design with sales and marketing and I managed to speak to a number of employers so for me it was brilliant.”
The week’s celebrations also saw two A Level Politics students Niamh Kay and Hannah Walker, and one Apprentice Megan Crabtree, becoming Apprentice MPs for the day, shadowing Pendle MP Andrew Stephenson during his constituency appointments, and gaining first-hand experience of some of the duties of an MP.
Niamh, 16, said: “I really enjoyed the day, learning about the demands of the job and finding out how Andrew became an MP. The day was very beneficial, especially as a politics student. My career ambition is to become a political researcher or political analyst and I was able to see a new perspective of the information I learn in lesson and see the person behind the politics.”
Other highlights included a suite of new Apprenticeship videos, which were shared widely on NCC’s social media platforms and YouTube channels, as well as ‘Day in the Life of an Apprentice’ features, including Engineering Apprentice Thomas Marchant at Pendle Engineering in Nelson.
Thomas, 19, said: “I am enjoying my Apprenticeship due to the great team around me, who are pushing me and expanding my skill set and knowledge. I thoroughly enjoy the jobs that I am given and required to carry out during my time in the workplace. I’ve also become more involved in the company with taking responsibility as an Apprentice Representative.”
Apprenticeships are available across a wide range of sectors. For more on NCC’s offer, including Pre-Apprenticeship support and its unique talent matching service, contact the Apprenticeship Team on 01282 440319 or go to www.nelson.ac.uk/apprenticeships – where you can also find all the latest ‘live’ Apprenticeship vacancies.
The college will hold a Year 9 and 10 Open Event on Monday 30 April from 5.30pm until 7.30pm. Students will have the opportunity to gain advice on Apprenticeships and course information from tutors, find out about our extensive and constantly-evolving extracurricular offer, ask about our unique Pre-Professional Programmes and get involved with ‘have a go’ activities and skills demonstrations.
NCC will also be holding a Careers Expo on Thursday 28 June between 5.30pm and 7.30pm where businesses and staff will be on hand to talk about Apprenticeship, work experience or volunteering opportunities.
For more information about Nelson and Colne College contact 01282 440272 or visit www.nelson.ac.uk
