When the shortlist for Apprentice of the Year in the Northamptonshire Business Excellence Awards were announced it was a moment of pride for the team at Starting Off, who had delivered training to three of the five finalists.
The line-up included Ruby Flaherty from dbfb and Ophelia Devile from Lunaz, who are both studying towards the Level 3 Digital Marketer apprenticeship, and, of course, the winner, Abi Almond from J Sweeney Accountants, who is studying towards her Level 3 Accounting apprenticeship.
Established in Northamptonshire in 1989, Starting Off has an excellent reputation among the county’s businesses for the recruitment and training of apprentices in a whole range of office-based disciplines, as well as private training packages for AAT, Team Leader, Business Administration and IT.
The training is delivered through a blend of remote live visits, work- shops, online resources, including a virtual learning environment, as well as one-to-one sessions with a designated trainer/account manager.
During the pandemic, Starting Off’s business model easily shifted from in-person training to online, meaning learning could continue despite offices and workplaces being closed, and, having seen the success of those different ways of working, remote training has continued.
Jess Cameron, Managing Director of Starting Off, said:
“We are providing the training for three out of the five apprentices nominated for the NBEAs this year, and I think it was something similar last year, which is fantastic to see. We were delighted that Abi won this year, and Loren Barber, who was the 2022 Apprentice of the Year was with us, too.
“The traditional view of apprenticeships is that they are trades – plumbing, engineering and the like – but it’s always been so much more than that and it’s amazing to see that being recognised more and more.”
With schools introducing the option of an apprenticeship as part of their careers provision, learning while you work is an increasingly popular choice for those who don’t feel university or further education is right for them.
Apprentices have 20% of their working week allocated to training, during which time they are supported by one of the team of Starting Off trainers as they work towards four-to-six-weekly assessments and a progress visit every eight to 12 weeks.
Jess said:
“We have a training and exam centre in Northampton. But we find that delivering training via Teams or Zoom works equally well. It started because of Covid, but keeping that model seemed like a natural thing to do, even when we could meet up with people again.
“It fits the demographic of most of the apprentices, they are comfortable with online and digital, and it’s more cost-effective and time-efficient to dial into a video call when we can, just meeting up for one-to-ones when they are necessary. Our Ofsted grade of Good, in late 2021, confirmed that our model was still delivering a high-quality training provision, so we see no reason to change.
“Apprenticeships are an excellent route into a career, and we’re very proud of our learners and the levels they achieve, even in just their first couple of years in the world of work.”
Find out more about Starting Off on 01604 622855 or visit www.startingoff.co.uk
