Senior leaders at Nelson and Colne College Group have taken on the role of an apprentice as part of National Apprenticeship Week.
Nelson and Colne College Group’s Senior Leadership Team (SLT) stepped back from their usual roles and instead were hard at work as apprentice learners in areas such as construction, engineering, hairdressing and library services.
Following the National Apprenticeship Week theme ‘Skills for Life’, each senior staff member focused on different areas to get hands on experience and see the skills apprentices learn for the workplace, with guidance from current learners and their tutors.
This weeklong celebration reaffirms Nelson and Colne College Group’s commitment to supporting learners on their vocational journeys and bridging the gap between education and employment.
Robert Cormack, a Level 3 Engineering apprentice, said: “It was good to see some senior members of staff take an interest in and have a go at some of the stuff we do as part of an apprenticeship. Having them get involved with the practical side of an apprenticeship was a great change of pace.”
Lisa O’Loughlin, Principal and CEO of Nelson and Colne College Group, said: “Our apprenticeship offer definitely builds skills for life. I had only been in the workshop for a few hours, and am walking away with invaluable skills that I will be using again.’
“An apprentice on one of our courses will build the skills they need not only for life but for an excellent career and the destinations of our previous apprentices underpin that.
“I found my time with our brilliant engineering colleagues informative, engaging and really interesting, and know my SLT colleagues felt the same.”
Nicola Hall, Director of Curriculum Innovation and Partnerships at Nelson and Colne College Group, said: “We’re really passionate about creating high-quality routes into high value professional and technical careers, and apprenticeships are a direct pathway into technical careers.
“It was great to see our Senior Leadership Team jump at the opportunity to go ‘back to the floor’ and learn new technical skills in support of National Apprenticeship Week.”
