As part of National Apprenticeship Week, Harrow College, Capgemini and The Careers & Enterprise Company hosted a special event to give young people information and guidance into a future career through apprenticeships.
The free public event called ‘Ask the Apprentice’ took place at Harrow College on Wednesday, 16 March. The event aimed to provide further insight into apprenticeships and explain how an apprenticeship can lead to a very successful career. This drive and positive endorsement is further supported by the Governments’ commitment of 3 million new apprenticeship starts in England between 2015 and 2020.
A number of leading employers and facilitators of apprenticeship schemes including Capgemini, Travis Perkins, Rolls-Royce, British Gas, Lloyds Banking Group, Nationwide Building Society, DWP, Barclays Bank and the NHS were in attendance at the event. As well as offering information about the apprentice schemes they offer, a number of their past and present apprentices also took part in a question and answer session to share their experiences and dispel any apprenticeship scheme myths or stereotypes.
The packed audience made up of young people, parents/guardians, employers and careers advisors listened as the panel session, hosted by Capgemini Chairman Christine Hodgson, spoke about what attracted them to an apprenticeship scheme, why it’s a great alternative to university especially for those keen to earn whilst they learn, the structure of apprenticeship programmes and how well organised they are to suit your career path and the many career opportunities that have, and continue, to open.
One of the panellists was former Harrow College student Andrei Furnica, 21, who has just completed a level 2 sales apprenticeship with builders’ merchants, Jewsons. He commented “after completing my college studies, I was not keen on doing more full time study at university, despite the wishes of my parent. Instead, I wanted to start gaining work experience whilst still continuing to achieve qualifications. I thought I would try an apprenticeship for 12 months and then review my options. A year later, I am now looking for another apprentice opportunity. The experience has been even better than I first expected”.
Click here for more information about apprenticeships from Harrow College.