As South and City College Birmingham welcomes more than 10,000 new learners across its eight campuses, the provider opens its doors to the new cohort of Equans apprentices to give them a personalised and exciting introduction to their new apprenticeship.
On Thursday 7th September 2023, South and City College Birmingham saw the latest cohort of 10 Equans apprentices receive their induction day at the Bordesley Green campus before fully enrolling at the college.
With over 100,000 employees worldwide and 13,500 employees in the UK and Ireland, Equans locally delivers planned and responsive repairs, maintenance and refurbishment works to more than 40,000 Birmingham City Council-owned properties across the city.
Across the day, the apprentices received a tour of the campus facilities by Carpentry Assessor Dean Clow, before heading to a classroom for a presentation which outlined progression routes, key expectations, and more such as maths and English, attendance, lateness, what’s needed for the end point assessment, the importance of health and safety and the PPE requirements, amongst other important information learners need to know before starting with the college.
Amelia Ringer, Equans Apprenticeship Manager commented that: “We are thrilled to welcome 10 trade apprentices who will be commencing their employment and training with us over the next 4 years, in collaboration with South and City College Birmingham. Our longstanding relationship with South & City has proven to be highly fruitful over the years, and we continue to value their partnership and support with our employees.
“One of the standout features of our collaboration has been the exceptional facilities provided, which have greatly contributed to the success of our apprenticeship programmes. Additionally, the quality of the tutors and their valuable feedback have played a pivotal role in nurturing our apprentices’ growth and development. We are excited about the prospects of their learning journey and the development of their knowledge, skills, and behaviours that will undoubtedly contribute to their future success in their respective trades.”
In reply to Equans ringing endorsement, Tracy Kerr, Business Consultant for South and City College Birmingham added: “We have been working with Equans for over 9 years and have trained more than 30 of their apprentices, many of which are specialists in the business today. Equans are committed and passionate about bringing new people into their business and they are one of our biggest advocates for apprenticeships. We are very proud to work with them and hope we can continue training their people for many more years to come.”
Second-year carpentry apprentices, Charlie Moore-Donion and Reece Mulvey, were invited to address the group later in the day to share their experiences and were available to answer questions.
Current Equans apprentice, Charlie, who has almost completed his two-year apprenticeship gave a brief talk about his time, alongside sharing 3 top-tips to the new apprentices:
- Do your write-ups regularly – don’t leave them to the last minute
- Manage your time well
- Speak to your mentors or supervisor regularly to ensure evidence is planned in advance to be able to keep on target
When describing his time as an apprentice with South & City College Birmingham he said, “I really learned a lot and it was also enjoyable and fun.” He added, “Once my apprenticeship ends, I plan to stay with Equans for a few more years to gain even more experience and then move into new-build carpentry to enhance my skills.”
Current apprentice, Reece Mulvey, added his 3 tips, including:
- Try and be in a position to submit your portfolio of evidence early
- Make sure your attendance is good, the theory and practical learning at college really helps whilst working on the job
- If you can, help your fellow classmates, it helps cement your own learning
South and City College Birmingham’s current academic year has now begun, with many new apprentices set to begin their journey with the college and follow in the footsteps of previous learners just like themselves. For more information on college facilities and how to apply to study, prospective students, parents, and members of the public can visit:
https://www.sccb.ac.uk/apply Prospective students and the community can find out more information about the apprenticeship programme on the college website, alongside information about courses, how to apply, and why you should consider making South and City College Birmingham your right choice.