Futures Employment Bureau has once again helped match the skills of a Construction learner to the needs of a local employer. The Bureau was set up in during April 2019 to support learners leaving the college to gain employment; providing help with CV’s, job applications and interview skills.

When Lyndon Moon, Acorns Nurseries, Maintenance Manager contacted Futures regarding a vacancy for a Trainee Painter/Decorator to support the business, the Futures team shared the opportunity with the Level 2 in Painting and Decorating alumni, who had recently completed their qualification at the college.

Christian Reynolds (29) from Caerphilly was quick off the mark to respond, expressing an interest in the role. He had recently completed his Level 2 in Diploma Painting and Decorating course at the Ystrad Mynach campus but due to the pandemic had been experiencing difficulty in finding employment.

In the following weeks Christian received 1:1 support from Futures to ensure his CV included all aspects of his work experience and promoted the transferrable and sector specific skills he had to offer. This together with Christian’s ambition to work within the industry – made him a perfect match to the job opportunity at Acorns Nurseries.

Christian’s CV was submitted to Acorns Nurseries for consideration for the role. He was then shortlisted and asked to attend a socially distanced interview on site at Cathays, Cardiff and offered the position.

Commenting on Christian’s appointment Lyndon Moon said “Christian is enjoying his new role, and doing really well with the company; he’s happy with the job. He’s a really good lad.  Christian is about to start his NVQ Level 2 in Painting and Decorating, which will be supported through Coleg y Cymoedd Upskilling@Work provision”.

Michele Harris-Cocker (Futures@Cymoedd Coordinator) added “It has been a real pleasure supporting Lyndon Moon, Acorns Nurseries, Maintenance Manager with the recruitment of a Trainee Painter and Decorator.  As soon as I met Christian and had a chat about the role and gained a better understanding of his previous work experience and the skills and knowledge he had obtained I knew he was a perfect match. Through a series of meetings, together we worked through his CV ensuring we were highlighting why he was the person for the job.

Christian applied, interviewed and was appointed during a challenging and unprecedented time of a global pandemic, it just goes to show how resilient he is; his motivation, passion and hope has certainly paid off.  He is a pleasant young man who is fully committed to his new role and keen to learn new skills to help fulfil his career ambition and opportunity for further progression”.

Speaking about his new employment at Acorns Nurseries Christian said” “ I am really enjoying the job, its going great the team are fab, the time is flying by. Michele from the Employment Bureau helped me find a role to fulfil my career aspiration of working as a Painter and Decorator during a very difficult time in my life when I thought my chances of finding a good job would be slim during the difficult times we were facing and impact the pandemic was having within our communities and economic climate.

Michele has been very supportive from day one, helping make sure my CV was a good match to the job vacancy at Acorns Nurseries Maintenance Department through to interview and maintaining contact to see how I have settled in. Thank you so much for your help I really appreciate it, you have been great and really helpful.  I am looking forward to starting my NVQ Level 2 in Painting and Decorating; I will be keeping in touch to let you know how it’s all going”.

Apprentice bereavement services officer Bethany Mason has won a prestigious national award after being recognised for her willingness to keep learning new skills and take on more responsibility in challenging circumstances.

Bethany, 21, from Llantrisant, who works for Rhondda Cynon Taf Borough Council, was named Foundation Apprentice of the Year when the Apprenticeship Awards Cymru 2021 winners were announced at a virtual ceremony on June 17.

Since joining RCT Council as a shy apprentice data entry clerk in 2016, Bethany has risen to a series of difficult challenges, making a huge difference to the staff of Glyntaff Crematorium at Glyntaff, Pontypridd and the grieving families they work with.

Committed to personal development, she has achieved a Foundation Apprenticeship and is now close to completing an NVQ level 3 in Business Administration, both delivered by Coleg y Cymoedd Nantgarw Campus.

Responding to her award, Bethany said: “I’m thrilled to win the award which shows that hard work does pay off. I must also thank my managers and trainers for their brilliant support.

“I plan to take every opportunity that comes my way in the future and would definitely recommend an apprenticeship because it helps to develop the skills that you need in your job.”

Celebrating outstanding achievement in training and apprenticeships, the Apprenticeship Awards Cymru 2021 saw 35 finalists compete in 12 categories.

Highlight of the work-based learning calendar, the awards showcased businesses and individuals who have excelled on the Welsh Government’s Apprenticeship and Traineeship Programmes and gone the extra mile to achieve success during these unprecedented times.

Jointly organised by the Welsh Government and the National Training Federation for Wales (NTfW), the awards had Openreach, the UK’s digital network business and passionate supporter of apprenticeships, as the headline sponsor.

The Apprenticeship Programme in Wales is funded by the Welsh Government with support from the European Social Fund. Welsh Government Apprenticeship Programmes have benefitted 50,360 people across South East Wales since May 2016.

Working closely with her manager, Ceri Pritchard, Bethany has developed leadership skills and improved the smooth running of Glyntaff Crematorium by digitising and centralising burial records and cemetery plans for RCT Cemeteries.

She also helped to introduce a digital portal to access music for family cremation services, together with webcasts and visual tributes, which have been incredibly important for funerals held during the pandemic restrictions.

The measures have improved efficiency and helped funeral directors and people wishing to trace their family history.

Soon after being seconded to the bereavement services team at Llwydcoed Crematorium, two of Bethany’s colleagues became ill, leaving her to learn new skills quickly to both manage the complex workload with her manager, and maintain a good, family-friendly service.

“My apprenticeship has not only given me the skills to perform my role professionally and diligently but has also allowed me to progress personally and develop my ability to deal with a variety of situations,” said Bethany.

“My confidence, self-esteem and performance at work have grown enormously and I take pride in the quality of my work.”

Congratulating Bethany, Minister for the Economy, Vaughan Gething, said: “Our award winners have excelled via the Welsh Government’s Apprenticeship and Traineeship programmes and gone the extra mile to achieve success during unprecedented and extremely challenging times.

“This Welsh Government has ambitious recovery plans to ensure there is no lost generation as we rebuild a new version of Wales that becomes an engine for sustainable, inclusive growth. I believe apprenticeships will be vital as we emerge from the pandemic.

“That’s why the new Welsh Government has committed to creating a further 125,000 Apprenticeship places over the next five years. We are a small country, but we have big ambitions, and our aim is to create a culture in Wales where recruiting an apprentice becomes the norm for employers.”

The success of a pioneering Apprenticeship Programme that is breathing new life into the advanced manufacturing sector across two South Wales local authority areas has been recognised with a prestigious national award.

Aspire Blaenau Gwent & Merthyr Tydfil’s Shared Apprenticeship Programme won the Large Employer of the Year award at the virtual Apprenticeship Awards Cymru 2021 ceremony on June 17.

The Shared Apprenticeship Programme was created six years ago to tackle high unemployment and relatively low skill levels within the manufacturing industry across Blaenau Gwent and Merthyr Tydfil.

The programme has directly benefited 123 apprentices as well as companies that have adopted its innovative approach. Learners are rotated around host employers to plug skills gaps by training on-the-job and working to achieve units towards their apprenticeship.

Aspire’s regional skills development manager, Tara Lane, said: “We are so proud to have won this prestigious award again and would like to thank our partners, host employers and, most importantly, our apprentices for all their hard work during such a difficult year for everybody.

“We really have had a challenging time, but everyone has adapted to various different forms of delivery and we are proud to say we have not lost any apprentices through the pandemic and continued to deliver a quality pathway of training and support programme throughout.

“We are very small team and to compete with the other large employers is a true credit to our staff. Their dedication and passion for supporting apprentices to secure careers through an apprenticeship programme has been commendable.”

Celebrating outstanding achievement in training and apprenticeships, the Apprenticeship Awards Cymru 2021 saw 35 finalists compete in 12 categories.

Highlight of the work-based learning calendar, the awards showcased businesses and individuals who have excelled on the Welsh Government’s Apprenticeship and Traineeship Programmes and gone the extra mile to achieve success during these unprecedented times.

Jointly organised by the Welsh Government and the National Training Federation for Wales (NTfW), the awards had Openreach, the UK’s digital network business and passionate supporter of apprenticeships, as the headline sponsor.

The Apprenticeship Programme in Wales is funded by the Welsh Government with support from the European Social Fund. Welsh Government Apprenticeship Programmes have benefitted 50,360 people across South East Wales since May 2016.

Aspire’s Shared Apprenticeship Programme was first established in 2015 when Ebbw Vale Enterprise Zone Board identified a significant lack of employees with skills at Level 3 and above in Blaenau Gwent. Two years later, Merthyr Tydfil joined to develop its business growth and enhance skills whilst tackling unemployment.

Aspire is now working with both Coleg y Cymoedd, who link with Coleg Gwent, and Coleg Merthyr Tydfil to foster the next generation of skilled workers through apprenticeships covering Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, ICT, Applied Science, Quality Engineering as well as Business/Commercial Administration and Finance.

With a target to recruit 20 new apprentices every year, Aspire has achieved a 100% success rate through a team facilitating their employment with hosts and then dealing with any issues as they occur. More than 30 employers have engaged with the programme.

“Aspire is a true example of collaboration,” said Matthew Tucker, Coleg y Cymoedd’s assistant principal. “The success of the programme has made Aspire a leading project in the sector.”

Congratulating Aspire, Minister for the Economy, Vaughan Gething, said: “Our award winners have excelled via the Welsh Government’s Apprenticeship and Traineeship programmes and gone the extra mile to achieve success during unprecedented and extremely challenging times.

“This Welsh Government has ambitious recovery plans to ensure there is no lost generation as we rebuild a new version of Wales that becomes an engine for sustainable, inclusive growth. I believe apprenticeships will be vital as we emerge from the pandemic.

“That’s why the new Welsh Government has committed to creating a further 125,000 Apprenticeship places over the next five years. We are a small country, but we have big ambitions, and our aim is to create a culture in Wales where recruiting an apprentice becomes the norm for employers.”

Cymoedd’s patisserie learner Verity-Ann Lewis has achieved her ambition and won Gold in a recent Skills Patisserie competition. Verity-Ann, the only Cymoedd Catering learner, competed against learners from colleges across Wales.

Skills Competition Wales, funded by the Welsh Government is designed to raise the profile of skills in Wales. The competition helps boost the skillset of the future workforce, focussing on the growth areas and the needs of the economy.

This year due to the pandemic, the learners did not travel to various centres to compete in the UK Skills Regional heat; but prepared their work in-house, which was then judged remotely. Verity –Ann’s presentation, creativity and style hit the grade with the judges, who presented her with the prestigious Gold Award.

Verity, from Rhymney has studied at the Hospitality and Catering department on Ystrad Mynach campus for 3 years and then did Patisserie on the Nantgarw campus this year, she has been involved with all aspects of the department. She has always been keen to enter competitions to gain experience and showcase the skills she has acquired at the college.

During the particularly difficult time of Covid-19, Verity-Ann was completing the Level 3 VTCT Patisserie and Confectionary course but ever focussed she dedicated a significant amount of time, training for the competition; both in the college and at home.

Congratulating Verity on her success, Course Tutor Ian Presgrave said “Verity has worked hard throughout her years within the college and through her own hard work and training from dedicated tutors, she has reached her goals in winning gold. We wish her good luck for a successful career”.

An excited Verity-Ann added “I have to thank my tutors for the support they have given me, especially Ian, Ben and Mark who have all encouraged me over the last year. Having studied Patisserie in Nantgarw, the college has provided me with fantastic facilities and tuition which has enabled me to achieve my goals”.