Apprentices thrive at Life
Celebrate National Apprenticeship Week with The International Centre for Life.
6 – 10 March 2017 is the 10th annual National Apprenticeship Week. The International Centre for Life is marking this milestone occasion by putting the spotlight on some of its own apprentices and their success stories.
Life is no stranger to the positive influence that apprentices can have on a business, having employed a number of apprentices over the past decade in a wide range of roles.
Linda Conlon, Chief Executive of the International Centre for Life, said: “We believe apprenticeships offer a fantastic route into work. At Life we’re passionate about inspiring younger generations, and we extend this into our workforce. We currently have apprenticeships in HR (Human Resources) and Finance, the Property department, and the Education department. Our apprentices are a vital and valued part of the team.”
William Haggath, currently working in the HR team at Life, started his career with an apprenticeship at Life in 2012, aged 19, and has recently been promoted to HR Executive.
William said: “My apprenticeship at Life has given me an ideal platform on which to grow and develop. Just last year I achieved a professional CIPD (Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development) qualification and achieved my promotion on the back of this. Choosing an apprenticeship was perfect for me, as it gave me plenty of hands-on experience and it suited me better than traditional university study.”
Following in William’s footsteps is the newest addition to the HR team, Charlotte Ball, who joined Life as HR and Finance Apprentice in October 2016. When Charlotte, 17, was considering her options for further study, the sums added up for an apprenticeship.
Charlotte said: “An apprenticeship gave me the opportunity to earn and study at the same time and I was really drawn by that – especially when considering how expensive university fees have become. The team have been really supportive, and getting the chance to learn both HR and financial skills gives me a broader understanding of the business. Working at Life is like no other office environment, there’s something different happening all the time!”
Several of Life’s apprentices have recently flown the nest to take on new challenges, including Ty Bradley who has moved on to an IT role at the University of Sunderland, and Ryan Wilson, who joined Life as an electrical apprentice in 2012 and is now continuing his career as a qualified electrician.
Linda added: “Although we are always sad to lose talented members of the team, it is a great pleasure to see those who have come to us as apprentices flourish in their careers.”
Plans are currently underway to hire the next of Life’s apprentices in the busy Property team, with a vacancy expected to go live at the end of March 2017 for a Building Services apprenticeship.
