Bosses go behind the bar for Apprenticeship Week

Feb. 9, 2011 - PRLog -- Bosses from Lincoln College and the National Apprenticeship Service went back to the floor at the Wig & Mitre in Lincoln yesterday (Tuesday) to celebrate National Apprenticeship Week (7th to 11th February).

Sue van Zyl, Director of Business at Lincoln College, and Henry Inman, Director of Employers Services (East Midlands) for the National Apprenticeship Service, were apprentices for an afternoon at the well known pub restaurant on Lincoln's Steep Hill.

They worked alongside current catering and hospitality apprentices Chloe Allen and Martyn England as part of a week of events planned by Lincoln College, supported by the apprentice employers, to celebrate and raise awareness of apprenticeships.

The College based on Monks Road in Lincoln works with 578 employers to provide 25 apprenticeships in trades ranging from plumbing and dental nursing to accounting and childcare.

“The day went extremely well and was highly amusing,” said Valerie Hope, chef de cuisine and director of the Wig & Mitre.

“The apprentices for a day made a batch of cheese soufflés which all came out of the oven perfectly.

“Henry had an eventful day as he was bricklaying in Leicester in the morning before swapping his overalls for chef’s whites.

“I think the apprentices themselves found it useful to see something of the rest of the operation and Henry and Sue were very pleased with the way Martyn took the lead in showing them what to do.”

Henry Inman added: “It was great to work alongside an apprentice in the kitchen and see at first hand the value they bring to the workplace.

“The Wig and Mitre is quite rightly very proud of its apprenticeship programme – a truly memorable experience. They have been taking apprentices on for many years now and are great ambassadors for the scheme.

“The idea behind Apprenticeship Week is to celebrate the talents of apprenticeships in terms of the career progression they can give and the potential to earn while you learn.

“It also gives us a chance to engage with the many employers who support the scheme.”

Ron Saint from the School of Business at Lincoln College added: “The Wig & Mitre has a long history and commitment to the training scheme – at the moment we even have three brothers working for the group!

“I believe apprenticeships schemes are very important, never more so than now, and we want to promote the fact that apprenticeships are not just for young people. Here at Lincoln College we are currently working with a 53 and a 46-year-old couple who have joined the scheme to help them learn more about running their new pub.”

What is an apprenticeship?

Apprenticeships combine working in a job while also attending a college course, usually on a day release basis, providing the best of both worlds. Apprentices gain-industry recognised qualifications and get an opportunity to start their career. They also get paid while they are training, helping them to become independent.

•   There are over 190 types of apprenticeships suitable for hundreds of job roles
•   80% of people are more likely to use a business if it offers apprenticeships to young people (YouGov, Oct 2009)
•   94% think it is important that companies support young people by taking on apprentices in the recession (YouGov, Oct 2009)
•   81% of business agree that apprentices make their workplace more productive (Populus, Feb 2009)
•   82% employers agree that apprentices provide the skilled workers we need for the future (Populus, Feb 2009)

Notes to editors

•   Lincoln College offers apprenticeships in Accounting, Administration, Automotive Engineering, Bricklaying, Carpentry and Joinery, Catering and Hospitality, Childcare, Customer Service, Dental Nursing, Electrical Installation, Hairdressing, IT Users, Manufacturing Engineering, Painting and Decorating, Plastering, Plumbing, Property Services, Retail, Supporting Teaching and Learning, Warehousing and Distribution, Welding and Fabrication.

•   There are currently 910 apprentices completing their programme with Lincoln College

•   The College is currently working with 578 employers spanning Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire.

•   Based over two sites in Lincolnshire (Lincoln and Gainsborough) Lincoln College is the largest educational institution in the County

•   The college grew further following the merger with Newark College in early 2006.
•   Lincoln College has over 3,000 full time and over 7,000 part-time students

•   For more information visit www.lincolncollege.ac.uk

•   Apprentices are employees who earn a wage and work alongside experienced staff in businesses to gain job-specific skills

•   Off the job, usually on a day-release basis, apprentices receive training to work towards nationally recognised qualifications

•   Apprenticeships can take between one and four years to complete depending on the level of apprenticeship, the apprentice’s ability and the industry sector