Uxbridge College has announced it will be hosting the first ever Hillingdon Apprenticeship Graduation Ceremony on 1 July 2015, recognising the achievements of Hillingdon based Level 3 and 4 Apprentices. The graduates will wear gowns and mortar boards to receive their certificates on stage at the ceremony to be held at Brunel University and both Brunel University and Heathrow are generously sponsoring the event.
Around 180 apprentices will be honoured for their achievements in a wide range of professional areas including Accounting, Beauty, Business Administration, Engineering, Hairdressing, Health and Social Care, Retail and Sport & Leisure.
As the first of its kind in Hillingdon Borough, the ceremony raises the profile of apprenticeships, rewards those graduates who have succeeded and recognises the support they have received from their employers. It is hoped their success will inspire other employers who will be attending to recruit apprentices for their future workforce.
Lorraine Collins, Executive Director at Uxbridge College said: “We are delighted to be hosting the first Hillingdon Apprenticeship Graduation Ceremony, as it is a wonderful opportunity for Apprentices to be given the same recognition as learners who have gained formal qualifications through more traditional academic routes. There are so many employers and partner organisations benefiting enormously from Apprenticeships, which offer a cost-effective and practical route to employing and training both young people and adults. Uxbridge College is very much looking forward to hosting this celebration with our Apprentice Graduates, and their employers and all the organisations involved in supporting their success.”
Uxbridge College is one of 19 Apprenticeship providers, across the country, who successfully bid for funding to plan and host a ceremony and the graduation ceremony grants have been managed by the Association of Colleges and Association of Employment and Learning Providers, through the Skills Funding Agency.
Apprenticeships give young people the real world experience they need to get a career head-start, combining their learning with paid work.
Lakjit Chand, Production Engineering Technician at Ultra Electronics said: “My apprenticeship through Uxbridge College enabled me to get closer to achieving my ambition of becoming a skilled engineer. Through my studies and with the guidance of the teachers, I gained industry recognised qualifications and I was able to demonstrate and develop my practical skills with ‘hands-on’ experiences that helped to impress my future employer.“
Alongside his full-time employment at Ultra Electronics Sonar systems, Lakjit is now continuing his studies in higher education, studying for an HND at Uxbridge College.
Apprentices are great for business, so if you are thinking of employing an apprentice now is the best time, as the government is continuing to offer the Apprenticeship grant of £1500 to employers with less than 50 employees. The good news is, if you are a London-based employer employing up to 249 staff, you can claim up to £3,000 to hire an apprentice. Grants are available on a first come, first served basis and you can recruit up to five apprentices. All grants are subject to eligibility and availability.
These grants have already helped thousands of employers to grow their business by employing an apprentice. Could it help you too? Contact us on 01895 853780 to find out more.
