As part of National Apprenticeship Week, we are celebrating the impact of apprenticeships across our Trust.  

We are highlighting the achievements and contributions of apprentices and looking at the successes and aspirations of our students who have chosen to follow an apprenticeship career pathway.  

Apprenticeships play a vital role in developing practical skills, qualifications and confidence, whether for career progression or as a first step after education.  

Last year, a number of students went on to take degree apprenticeships with well-known employers such as JCB and Sellafield, highlighting the different routes available.  

As a Trust, we recognise the value of apprenticeships, the impact they have within our Trust and school communities, and the power of providing practical skills, qualifications, and opportunities for personal and professional growth.  

Students at Barrow Hall College take part in a wide range of apprenticeship events throughout their time at college highlighting the wide range of apprenticeship pathways available.  

This includes looking at routes into finance, construction, building and surveying, policing, marketing, business, management, sciences, health, engineering, and many others. Students are given the opportunity to work with employers, such as Amazon, AstraZeneca, Barclays, the BBC, Bentley, Coca-Cola, GlaxoSmithKline, United Utilities, Virgin Media, Unilever and Fujitsu.  

After finishing their studies at Barrow Hall College, a number of students have gone on to take up apprenticeships. To mark the week, we spoke to former students to find out more about their experiences and how their apprenticeships have shaped their career paths.  

Hermione chose to pursue a degree apprenticeship with Merseyside Police because she was keen to avoid taking on a student loan and preferred not to enter a typical 9-to-5 role. The apprenticeship enables her to gain practical, hands-on experience while earning a degree, offering the flexibility to combine university study with real-world work. This arrangement allows her to directly apply knowledge from her shifts to her assignments, enjoy the university experience, and earn a wage, all while benefiting from smaller class sizes and more personalised support. 

Heather, a Sellafield Ltd apprentice studying Level 5 and 6 Mechanical Design Engineering, chose the apprenticeship route to gain recognised qualifications while earning and working alongside experienced engineers. Since starting, she has developed practical and theoretical skills in areas such as fluid mechanics, thermodynamics and mechanical principles, applying them directly to real-world engineering projects. Heather believes that the experience and skills acquired during her apprenticeship will enable her to progress into more senior engineering roles in the future. 

Thomas gained his Business Consultant Degree Apprenticeship specialising in Digital Transformation with Fujitsu. He chose the degree apprenticeship route because he felt it offered the best of both worlds - the ability to gain a paid university degree and while gaining real industry experience putting him 2 years ahead of his peers. Thomas added that the apprenticeship provided financial independence and a way to avoid taking on student debt. He gained valuable professional experience alongside his studies which helped to contextualise his learning, improve his confidence and communication skills as well as his understanding of how large organisations operate.