Apprentice Connect

South West College works in partnership with local companies to provide opportunities for young people and adults to undertake apprenticeships, increasingly at higher levels, studying at the College whilst employed.

There are currently almost 2,000 apprentices studying at the college and working locally, with over 500 undertaking Higher-Level Apprenticeships (HLAs). Apprenticeships are available across a wide range of sectors including Engineering, Construction, Dental and Accountancy, and provide participants with the opportunity to earn while you learn, working with local companies, earning wages, and studying qualifications up to and including Hons Degrees without attracting fees.

The college works with prospective apprentices and local employers seeking to match talent with apprenticeship opportunities through Apprentice Connect.

This year’s programme includes events planned in each campus as follows:

Omagh Tuesday, April 30 6.30pm to 8.30pm
Dungannon, Wednesday, May 1 6.30pm to 8.30pm
Enniskillen, Thursday, May 2 6.30pm to 8.30pm

Following recent Open Days, the college already has over 500 young people who have registered interest in apprenticeships. Over coming weeks, staff will be contacting local employers and inviting to register for an Apprentice Connect event so that they can meet and engage with potential future employees. These events are open to the public and provide another opportunity for young people to consider the options available to them after school.

Prospective apprentices or employers who would like more information about the event should email -

apprenticeconnect@swc.ac.uk

Commenting on Apprentice Connect Celine McCartan College, Principal and Chief Executive, stated: "Apprentice Connect is key to the College’s role in providing skills and opportunities locally. I am looking forward to engaging with young people, parents, and local employers to promote Apprenticeships – which create jobs with training in-built locally. I am also pleased to announce that to support this process, we will be launching the Colleges HLA Connect Portal. This online portal provides advice and guidance on study options and enables prospective HLA’s to engage with employers and secure an apprenticeship."

Jill Jenkins, Early Careers Manager at Severfield, highlights the importance of apprentices: "At Severfield, we are passionate about helping young people take their first step onto the career ladder. We get the opportunity to bring apprentices into our organisation who we can train to have the skills, knowledge, and behaviours that we require. This puts us in a great position as an organisation as we can grow our talent pipeline.

"We offer variety of apprenticeship opportunities, including many at higher levels. Apprenticeships allow us to develop employees with industrial experience and qualifications aligned to company need.

"Our relationship with South West College goes back many years, and we look forward to supporting the Apprentice Connect event again this year. These events provide a fantastic opportunity for us to meet with prospective apprentices and discuss the opportunities that are available.’

Prospective apprentices or employers who would like more information about the event should email apprenticeconnect@swc.ac.uk