Council celebrates the success and hard work of apprentices

National Apprenticeship Week is a fantastic opportunity to celebrate the several benefits that apprenticeships bring to employers and individuals.

The District Council currently employs 21 apprentices who cover a wide range of job roles from finance and housing, to planning and administrative services.

As part of this week’s celebration, the Council has shared success stories of its apprentices including Alex Gunnell who is currently working as an Apprentice Park Ranger.

Alex said: “This apprenticeship is a great opportunity for me to get the foundation skills, knowledge and experience in a new career. After spending my early working life in admin roles and then 11 years carrying out a variety of roles in the leisure industry, I had no previous experience or relevant qualifications to help me into the career path I had finally realised I wanted to take.

“With apprenticeships previously only being open to 16-24 year olds, I was ecstatic to find an apprenticeship open to me at the age of 35 and in the sector I have been trying to access.

“As a single parent to two school aged children, there were lots of factors to consider when starting a new career path – time, travel, childcare costs etc. With an apprenticeship I get to work towards a qualification whilst gaining practical experience and skills and earn an income all at the same time. This qualification will be a springboard into a variety of roles in the sector and open up many more opportunities for me once completed.”

Leader of Newark and Sherwood District Council, Councillor David Lloyd, said: “We have invested heavily in taking on apprentices in recent years, providing people of all ages a chance to learn and gain practical skills all while earning a wage.

“It’s great to see our apprentices grow and learn new skills. I have enjoyed seeing the stories of just some of our apprentices shared publicly on our social media, with many having gone on to permanent roles with us.”

If you know someone who may be interested in an apprenticeship with Newark and Sherwood District Council, visit the Jobs Go Public website which is regularly updated with the latest vacancies when available here: www.jobsgopublic.com/employers/newark-sherwood-district-council.