Apprentice Town

New health and social care apprenticeships available

Applications are now open for Derbyshire County Council’s health and social care apprenticeships, with vacancies on offer at various locations across the county.

The role includes helping older and disabled people retain their independence and lead fulfilled and dignified lives within the council’s:

  • residential care homes
  • day centres
  • specialist community care centres

Apprenticeships are available to people of any age and could be suitable for someone returning to work after having children, a young person over 16 looking to take up a rewarding career or someone who wants to change career.

Councillor Jean Wharmby, Cabinet Member for Adult Care said:

“Anyone looking for a new, rewarding challenge should definitely find out more about our health and social care apprenticeships.

“It’s a brilliant opportunity to get high-quality training and mentoring that will open up a number of different paths in both the social care and health sectors.

“You don’t have to be young to be an apprentice – as long as you’re over 16 and motivated to support people who need some extra help, we want to hear from you.”

The health and social care apprentices will be part of a valued team supporting people with everyday tasks such as washing, dressing, eating meals and staying socially active. After successfully completing the 15-month training programme, they will receive a Level 2 Diploma in Health and Social Care.

Derbyshire County Council offer career progression for their care staff and give free training and support for those looking to work up the career ladder. They offer extra pay for unsocial hours, 25 days paid holiday (pro-rata), a free uniform and no zero hours contracts. Working hours are flexible and previous experience isn’t necessary, although understanding the needs of older people – including those with dementia – is an important part of the work.

The application deadline is Sunday, 2 September 2018.

To view apprenticeship vacancies in Chesterfield click here.

Derbyshire County Council apprenticeships

Posted in About Chesterfield, Apprentice Town, Business

Apprentice Emily starts her career at Redbrik

Redbrik Estate Agents has taken on its first apprentice applicants manager at their Chesterfield office.

Emily Dickerson, 18, has joined the company for a year long apprenticeship where she will gain experience from all areas of the property industry.

At the end of the apprenticeship, Emily will achieve an NVQ qualification in Property Estate Agency – Residential Sales.

Emily said: “I did a week’s work experience with Redbrik in 2016 while I was still at school and I absolutely loved it. I’ve been doing a wide range of duties, including booking appraisals, viewings and providing feedback to vendors, which has been really fun. The team are great, and I’ve learnt so much already so I’m looking forward to the next year.”

Julie Bulheller, director at Redbrik, added: “This is a very exciting time for Redbrik as we experience continued growth and get ready to open our new office in Sheffield City Centre, so we’re delighted to have Emily on board as our very first apprentice.

“She’s picked up the role really quickly and is proving to be a fantastic addition to the Redbrik family. It’s wonderful to see how far she’s come already and I’m certain she will have a very promising property career in the future.”

Emily Dickerson Redbrik

Posted in Apprentice Town, Business

Apprentice vacancies available at new Chesterfield development

Four aspiring tradespeople could soon commence their construction careers as triple HBF 5 star housebuilder, William Davis Homes announces vacancies at its Skylarks development in Chesterfield.

Young people aged 16 and over from Chesterfield and the neighbouring area are encouraged to apply for the trade apprenticeships currently available with William Davis Homes. In partnership with Chesterfield Borough Council and Chesterfield College, the company is offering placements for an apprentice bricklayer, joiner, electrician and painter/decorator to work on its Skylarks development on the northern edge of the Derbyshire market town.

Gary Long, Apprentice Manager at William Davis Homes, commented:-

“We’re pleased to announce we’re seeking four new recruits specifically from the Chesterfield area as part of our commitment to offering local labour opportunities. This is a significant chance for young people to make a tangible difference to their community, while at the same time developing a life-long career path. Our apprentice scheme has been running for more than 50 years and has won many awards, so aspiring apprentices can be assured of first-class training.”

Applications for the William Davis Homes apprenticeships will be open until Friday 20th July and can be accessed by contacting the Learning Unlimited Team at Chesterfield College on 0345 850 1055 or via the Find an Apprenticeship service (www.gov.uk/apply-apprenticeship) . Successful apprentices will be mentored on site at Skylarks by William Davis Homes’ directly employed apprentice masters and complete their academic training at Chesterfield College to achieve a minimum NVQ Level 3.

Cllr Terry Gilby, Chesterfield Borough Council’s cabinet member for economic growth, said:-

“It is really important to us that local residents benefit from the jobs and training opportunities created by developments taking place within the borough. That is why we launched the Apprentice Town initiative which aims to raise awareness of apprenticeships and encourage the education, business and learning sectors to work with us to deliver more apprenticeship opportunities for local people.

“So we are really pleased that William Davis is offering apprenticeships to people who are interested in having a career in the construction industry. The skills they learn will set them up for good quality careers.”

David Higham, Commercial Director at Learning Unlimited, part of the Chesterfield College Group, added:-

“The apprenticeship opportunities on offer from William Davis Homes give local people a fantastic way to develop a career in construction. It’s clear the company has a huge commitment to investing in people and growing them through training and it’s this approach which really benefits apprentices and employers. We’re proud to be working in partnership with them through the Apprenticeship Town initiative and look forward to recruiting and working with the new apprentices.”

William Davis Homes has been actively working with Chesterfield Borough Council to support local labour initiatives for almost a year; speaking at conferences, conventions, a meet the buyer event and in schools; acting as an enterprise advisor at Outwood Academy; and awarding contracts to local suppliers where possible. Its Skylarks development was opened last month (June 2018) to offer house hunters a superb choice of two to five bedroom homes.

Chesterfield is the first town in the UK to declare itself an Apprentice Town – demonstrating its commitment to growing the future and careers of young people alongside business and the economy by retaining and developing young talent in the town in order to attract more employers to invest here.

apprentice vacancies chesterfield

Posted in About Chesterfield, Apprentice Town, Business, Development

Chamber welcomes new flexibility in Apprenticeships Levy

The Government has announced that large employers can now share their Apprenticeship Levy funds among multiple companies in their supply chains.

Previously they could nominate only one company to receive help from the levy, a 0.5% tax payable by firms with payroll of over £3m a year. Nominated firms could receive up to ten per cent of the levy value.

Introduced in May 2017, the levy was intended to increase the number of apprenticeship starts to three million by 2020 but has led, instead, to a decline.

Ian Bates, Sector Forums Manager at East Midlands Chamber, who’s role includes working with employers and academia and running the Chamber’s annual Skills and Employability Summit, said:-

“We welcome this improved flexibility, it will go some way to widen opportunities for improving the availability of skilled workers, however more wide scale transformation is needed to make the system fit for purpose

“The levy didn’t achieve what the Government intended. Our own research has shown that most large employers did not expect to recover what they were paying out under the levy and many smaller employers don’t fully understand it or won’t use it at all.

“Allowing large employers to share the levy among multiple companies in their supply chain will, hopefully, result in those smaller companies being able to upskill their workers and to recruit new apprentices, thereby securing skilled workers for the future.”

“We have recently seen the British Chambers of Commerce, in partnership with the Chartered Management Institute (CMI), publish a ten-point-plan, to reform the Apprenticeship Levy system, which clearly sets out the asks for Government and for business.”

Since the levy was introduced, Government has twice previously shown flexibility in how it can be used, by allowing levy-payers to include a single supplier and allowing the fund to pay for upskilling existing workers.

The latest adjustment allows the levy-paying firm to nominate any number of suppliers to receive the ten per cent benefit.

Chesterfield is the first town in the UK to declare itself an Apprentice Town – demonstrating its commitment to growing the future and careers of young people alongside business and the economy by retaining and developing young talent in the town in order to attract more employers to invest here.

Find out more about hiring an apprentice and the Apprentice Levy here.

 

Apprenticeship Levy

 

Posted in About Chesterfield, Apprentice Town, Business

Chesterfield announces its first Retail Apprentice of the Year

The first Retail Apprentice of the Year award was part of the town’s long running annual Chesterfield Retail Awards. It was introduced to the category line-up by the event organiser Destination Chesterfield to support the Apprentice Town initiative and highlight the importance of apprentices within the retail sector.

Chloe Hall (18), a Level 2 hair and beauty apprentice who works at The Therapy Lounge in Hasland, Chesterfield, is the first apprentice to win the brand-new award, which was also sponsored by the Apprentice Town initiative led by Chesterfield Borough Council. Chloe’s employer, The Therapy Lounge, was also named as the Hair and Beauty Business of the Year at the awards.

Last year, Chesterfield became the first town in the UK to declare itself an Apprentice Town – demonstrating its commitment to growing the future and careers of young people alongside business and the economy by retaining and developing young talent in the town, attracting more employers to invest there.

There are currently more than 4,000 people currently participating in apprenticeships in Chesterfield. It is hoped the Apprentice Town initiative will encourage young people, parents and businesses to think ‘Apprenticeship First’.

Chloe, a former Bolsover School pupil, commented on her award win: “I was really shocked to win. It’s great to be recognised and it really has opened up a lot more new opportunities for me. I’m really enjoying my time here at The Therapy Lounge, especially carrying out treatments on clients and seeing the end result of that treatment.”

She added: “I’d recommend an apprenticeship over everything. It gives you so much real life working experience. With an apprenticeship, it leads you onto your next chapter and often cuts out that step in between.”

In addition to Apprentice of the Year, the Chesterfield Retail Awards also recognised the Apprentice Employer of the Year. The award, which was sponsored by Learning Unlimited (The Chesterfield College Group), was won by Ashgate Hospicecare.

Tracie Holocuk, Manager of one of Ashgate Hospicecare’s stores, said: “Having an apprentice in our business has made a huge difference to us. I would recommend it.”

To see the full list of winners at the Chesterfield Retail Awards 2018, please visit https://www.chesterfield.co.uk/retailawards/winners/2018-2/

Posted in Apprentice Town, Business, Chesterfield Retail Awards

Last chance to nominate your food and drink apprentice for brand new award

Don’t let the town’s best apprentices working in Chesterfield’s hospitality sector go unnoticed.

A brand new category – Apprentice of the Year – has been introduced to the 2018 Chesterfield Food and Drink Awards. Sponsored by Apprentice Town, the new award is designed to recognise the valuable contribution young people are making to the town’s thriving food and drink sector.

Awards organiser Destination Chesterfield is urging businesses to recognise publicly the hard work and achievement of their apprentices by nominating them for the prestigious award before time runs out.

Apprentice employers can also put themselves forward for the new Apprentice Employer of the Year Award, sponsored by Learning unlimited (The Chesterfield College Group).

Nominations for both the Apprentice of the Year and Apprentice Employer of the Year categories close at midnight on Friday 29 June 2018.

Councillor Terry Gilby, Cabinet Member – Economic Growth, Chesterfield Borough Council, which is behind the ground-breaking Apprentice Town initiative, explained:-

“Apprentice Town is committed to raising the participation of young people in apprenticeships in Chesterfield.

“The award category sponsorship is an important part of the initiative’s drive to raise awareness of the many apprenticeships within the food and drink sector. Equally important, is recognising and celebrating the achievement of the young people who are currently undertaking their apprenticeship, and this award does just that.”

Peter Swallow, Chair of Destination Chesterfield, added:-

“Chesterfield’s hospitality sector is growing. The success of current businesses and many of the new developments like Peak Resort and the hotels at Elder Way and Chesterfield Waterside rely on young people entering and building their career within the hospitality industry here.

“It is important that we recognise the significant contribution they make to Chesterfield and I am delighted that we have been able to introduce these two new categories to the Food and Drink Awards.

“By putting the spotlight on both the young people working within the sector and the apprentice pathway, the awards hope to bring apprenticeships to the attention of young people and employers.”

Last year Chesterfield became the first town in the UK to declare itself an Apprentice Town, demonstrating its commitment to growing the future and careers of young people alongside businesses and the economy. The Apprentice Town partnership seeks to develop Chesterfield as a leading apprenticeship destination, with 4,000 people already participating in apprenticeships in the town.

Other supporters of the awards include Banner Jones Solicitors, BHP Chartered Accountants, Casa Hotel, Chesterfield Borough Council, Derbyshire Times, Elder Way (Jomast), East Midlands Chamber (Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire and Leicestershire), Hoods Florist, Jumble Creative Design, Kier Group, MSE Hiller, Owen Taylor & Sons, Peak FM and Reflections, Shorts Chartered Accountants.

To nominate an apprentice or a business for one of the two new awards, please visit www.chesterfield.co.uk/foodanddrinkawards/categories .

food drink apprentice chesterfield

Posted in About Chesterfield, Apprentice Town, Chesterfield Food and Drink Awards

University of Derby climbs 25 places to rank in Top 30 in The Guardian University Guide 2019

The University of Derby has been ranked in the Top 30 in The Guardian University Guide 2019 which is a climb of 25 places.

Derby is now ranked 29th after jumping from 54th place out of 121 institutions making it the sixth most improved university in the country. Importantly this is our highest ever ranking.

Welcoming the results from today’s The Guardian University Guide 2019, Professor Kathryn Mitchell, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Derby, said: “To achieve our highest ever ranking is fantastic news for the University and formally recognises the outstanding commitment of staff and students.

“It is particularly pleasing to be recognised in the Top 30 in the country by The Guardian league tables, which focus on student experience, student satisfaction and employability – values which have always been at the heart of our institution. This is a very positive outcome which will further enhance our global profile.”

As well as an overall ranking, The Guardian University Guide 2019 also produces league tables for each subject area, which has seen some equally impressive performances for Derby.

These include Top 10 rankings for:

  • Hospitality, Event Management & Tourism
  • Business, Marketing & Management.

The University of Derby has also been ranked in the Top 20 for:

  • Art
  • Education
  • Mechanical Engineering
  • Fashion & Textiles
  • Journalism, Publishing & Public Relations
  • Nursing & Midwifery

The Guardian university league tables, published today, rank universities according to a variety of criteria considered most relevant to students, including students satisfaction with the course, teaching, feedback and student-to-staff ratio. Institutions receive an overall score and individual assessments are also given for a whole range of criteria including employability, spend per student and, new for this year, continuation.

Many prospective students rely on annual guides published by national newspapers and elsewhere to decide on where they will study, and Derby showed improved performance across a variety of criteria.

£6.9 million University Campus brings history and future together in Chesterfield

Posted in About Chesterfield, Apprentice Town, Business, Development

The Royal receives regional Apprenticeship Award

The Royal prides itself on ‘growing our own’ workforce through the use of apprentices and apprenticeships, which is why they’re delighted to have been named as the Large Employer of the Year at this year’s North Midlands and South Yorkshire Apprenticeship Awards.

Presented by the winner of the BBC’s Young Apprentice series, Ashley Porter-Exley, the awards celebrate and recognise the hardworking individuals and organisations involved in apprenticeships.

As a relatively small hospital in the large area covered by the awards, the Trust was the only hospital to have made the shortlist at the ceremony, and fought off competition from regional and national organisations to seal the award.

Sarah Sewell, the Royal’s Inter-Professional Development Lead, picked up the award at a ceremony, held at the Showroom Cinema in Sheffield on Tuesday the 15th of May.

She said:-

“We were in good company with the other organisations nominated and awarded at the event. With several colleges and a range of other businesses, including the likes of Specsavers, at the event, winning the award for best Large Employer helps to boost our credibility in the region.

“The award will take pride of place at the Education Centre reception, the main source of learning and support at the hospital. It shows that we are a champion for apprenticeships and apprentices and it will have a big impact on teaching staff about the importance of them to the Trust. More importantly it puts CRH on people’s radar.”

Marking the first award for the Apprenticeships team at the hospital, The Trust has Carrie Marples, the Apprenticeship Programme Coordinator/Secretary, to thank for being nominated.

Carrie submitted a seven page document to apply for the award, featuring case studies and outlining all the hard work and achievements by apprentices at the hospital and why CRH deserved to be named the winner.

“I saw the awards advertised on the Derbyshire Times Facebook page and thought it would be worth submitting an application for it. It took me three weeks to get the submission sent off, but it was worth it in the end, and all the feedback has been really positive. This is the direction we want to take apprenticeships at The Royal, but I didn’t expect us to win it. It’s the first one we’ve put ourselves forward for. It gives us something to shout about.

“Apprenticeships are often seen as a negative and there’s a perception they’re just for school leavers, but apprentices are in almost in every department in the hospital and they have an impact on all staff.

“Winning this award is a great recognition of the fantastic work our apprentices do and shows staff that there are opportunities to upskill through the many programmes we have.

“We have a lot of programmes and opportunities running. This award will help attract new talent and raise awareness of what we have to offer. It’s a brilliant award for the hospital to win and gain good exposure.

“We’re very much in favour of pushing on and applying for more awards in the future. It also helps to build our reputation in the area and attract those looking to gain further qualifications.”

Apprenticeships in Chesterfield are an excellent way of gaining qualifications whilst getting real life work experience and being paid for it – what better place to become an apprentice or find an apprentice than the UK’s first Apprentice Town.

There are currently more than 4,000 people currently participating in apprenticeships in Chesterfield.

royal hospital apprenticeship

Posted in About Chesterfield, Apprentice Town

Apprentices set to be honoured at Chesterfield Retail Awards

One of Chesterfield’s apprentices will be named as the town’s best at the 2018 Chesterfield Retail Awards next month.

Two retail apprentices have been shortlisted for the prestigious Apprentice of the Year award, sponsored by the Apprentice Town initiative led by Chesterfield Borough Council.

Jodie Tomlinson a hairdressing apprentice from The Lounge on Chatsworth Road, and Chloe Hall, an apprentice beauty therapist from The Therapy Lounge in Hasland, are both in the running for the brand new award after being nominated by their employers.

Jodie and Chloe will be recognised alongside more than 30 businesses from the town’s retail sector which have been shortlisted across 15 categories in Destination Chesterfield’s annual Retail Awards.

Both Jodie and Chloe are NVQ Level 2 apprentices and have impressed their employers with their enthusiasm for their job and the impact they are making on the businesses they work in.

Social media savvy, Jodie Tomlinson joined The Lounge after leaving Brookfield Community School last year and has ambitions to become a stylist following her apprenticeship. She is the ‘go to’ person for social media activity in the salon and her management of it has had a big impact on The Lounge, resulting in more publicity and an increase in business.

Delighted to be shortlisted Jodie (17) from Brampton said:-

“I was happy and surprised to learn I had been shortlisted for the award. I really enjoy my job, particularly styling and finishing people’s hair.”

Her boss, salon owner Rebecca Ward, added:-

“Jodie really deserves the recognition for all the hard work she puts in to make it in her hairdressing career.”

Fellow nominee and former Bolsover School pupil Chloe Hall (18) from Duckmanton, said:-

“I’m really enjoying my apprenticeship. I love being part of a team and doing the treatments. I really want to progress to a level 3 apprenticeship when I complete my level 2. It’s great how apprenticeships combine training and a wage – it’s what attracted me to doing one.”

Chloe’s boss and owner of The Therapy Lounge, Carly Smith praised her for her work as a salon assistant. Chloe is now starting to do her own treatments with clients and the growth in her confidence since starting her apprenticeship at The Therapy Lounge is reaping rewards for her customer service skills.

Carly added:-

“Chloe has put in a lot of work and effort to get up to speed. She has had to develop a lot of life skills since starting but her lovely personality has helped. We’re now confident Chloe will progress to Level 3 in September.

Alongside the Apprentice of the Year title, this year’s Chesterfield Retail Awards will also be honouring the town’s Apprentice Employer of the Year, sponsored by Learning Limited (The Chesterfield College Group).

Three businesses have been shortlisted for the Apprentice Employer of the Year award – Ashgate Hospicecare, Bliss Hair and Specsavers.

This is the first year that apprentices and apprentice employers have been recognised in the Chesterfield Retail Awards. The new awards are designed to recognise and commend the valuable contribution both apprentices and their employers make to Chesterfield’s retail scene.

Commenting on the decision to introduce the new categories to the Retail Awards line up, Councillor Amanda Serjeant, Vice Chair of Destination Chesterfield and deputy leader of Chesterfield Borough Council, said:-

“I am delighted we have been able to introduce the new categories in the Retail Awards. So many dedicated people work in the town’s retail sector and this is reflected in the high calibre of entrants we have in each category.

“It is great to see young people developing their skills and careers in the sector and also to recognise the many employers who are supporting them through apprenticeships.”

The winners of the Chesterfield Retail Awards will be announced on Wednesday 13 June at the fifth annual Chesterfield Retail Awards, being held at the Winding Wheel.

Other supporters of the 2018 Chesterfield Retail Awards include: Chesterfield Borough Council, Derbyshire Times, East Midlands Chamber, eBusiness Works, In the Works PR, JP Fire Safety, Peak FM, Jumble Creative Design, Temple Safety, The Pavements Shopping Centre and the University of Derby.

For more information about the awards including details of remaining sponsorship packages, visit www.chesterfield.co.uk/retailawards

Chesterfields apprentices

 

Posted in About Chesterfield, Apprentice Town, Business

Chesterfield financial planners strengthen team with two new recruits

Chesterfield financial planners Milestone Financial Planning has strengthened its team further with two new recruits – Joanne Taylor and Jake Bennett.

Joanne joins the team as a Technical Administrator bringing more than 20 years of experience in administration and office management to the role.  She has returned to an administration role and the UK after having lived in Egypt for seven years where she held the role of Assistant Spa Manager for seven years. Keen to be back with her family, Joanne returned to Chesterfield last year where she initially took up the role of receptionist at a local hotel.

Commenting on joining Milestone, Joanne said:-

“I’m delighted to be working with the fantastic team here at Milestone Financial Planning. They’ve made me feel very welcome. The company has great plans for the future – I’m excited to be a part of it all. I feel that I will be able to grow and develop within the company and I can’t wait to get my teeth stuck into something new.”

Joanne is joined by Jake Bennett (22), who has been appointed as a Business Administration Apprentice. The former Outwood Academy student has joined Milestone from Leeds Beckett University where he was studying Accounting and Finance. The prospect of earning while he learns, rather than building thousands of pounds of university debt, attracted Jake to the role.

He commented:-

“When I spoke to the guys at Milestone, the vision of the business just blew me away. This is such a fantastic opportunity for me to learn about the sector, gain qualifications and earn a wage with a great company.

“I hope to become a fully qualified financial adviser with Milestone in the future. I’m excited to really kickstart my apprenticeship and can’t wait to see what the future holds.”

Apprenticeships in Chesterfield are an excellent way of gaining qualifications whilst getting real life work experience and being paid for it – what better place to become an apprentice or find an apprentice than the UK’s first Apprentice Town.

Chesterfield financial planners

Posted in About Chesterfield, Apprentice Town, Business

Chesterfield partnership in the running for top apprenticeship award

The partnership between Arvato UK  and Chesterfield Borough Council  has been shortlisted for the Large Employer of the Year category at the North Midlands and South Yorkshire Apprenticeship Awards.

The awards, which will take place at the Showroom Workstation in Sheffield on Thursday 15th May, recognise the hard work and success of the region’s apprentices and the businesses that employ them.

The Chesterfield apprentice scheme is one of several apprenticeship programmes which Arvato operate across their local government partnerships. The schemes ensure that the right talent is developed to help their public sector partners tackle the skills challenges they will face in the years ahead.

More than 70 young people have completed their apprenticeship programme in Chesterfield since 2010, which consists of a 12 or 18-month NVQ level two qualification in business administration, customer service and ICT and a range of vocational placements across the partnership.

Apprenticeships in Chesterfield are an excellent way of gaining qualifications whilst getting real life work experience and being paid for it – what better place to become an apprentice or find an apprentice than the UK’s first Apprentice Town.

Arvato are also part of the Chesterfield Apprenticeship Ambassador Network, which helps raise awareness of Apprenticeships and increase apprenticeship participation in Chesterfield. By becoming an Apprenticeship Ambassador, businesses are helping to promote Chesterfield as an Apprentice Town and raising awareness of apprenticeships and their benefits to strengthen the workforce of the local economy. Other local Apprenticeship Ambassadors include Ashgate Hospicecare, In the Works PR, Stephenson’s Tea & Coffee House, Ferdinand Bilstein and UKATA.

On average, 70 per cent of their trainees go on to full-time roles with the business, with a further two-thirds being promoted within 12 months. Their apprentice retention rate across the UK is 47 per cent, which far exceeds the national average of 23 per cent.

Peter Schriewersmann, Key Account Director, CRM Solutions, Arvato UK & Ireland, commented:-

“We take training our apprentices very seriously and believe it’s essential to give the next generation of talent the practical experience they need to grow professionally.

“Being shortlisted for this award is testament to the hard work of all our apprentices and their managers in Chesterfield. Recruiting young people and preparing them for the world of work is just one of the ways we give back to the communities we operate in.”

Chesterfield apprentice

Posted in About Chesterfield, Apprentice Town