STUDENTS and staff at Craven College are celebrating after it has become one of only three apprenticeship providers in the country to be rated ‘outstanding’ by Ofsted.

Welcoming the news, Sarah Haworth, the college’s apprenticeship development adviser said: “The theme of National Apprenticeship Week this year is ‘Apprenticeships Work’ and looking at the success and development of amazing apprentices, we can honestly say that they really do!

“Ofsted recognised that our apprentices are ‘polite, articulate, confident and professional’ and ‘benefit from high quality workplaces and very supportive employers.’

“This is great testimony to the apprentices and employers that we work with on a day to day basis.”

The 11th National Apprenticeship Week started on Monday and employers and apprentices from across England have been coming together to celebrate the success of apprenticeships while encouraging more people to choose apprenticeships as a pathway to a career.

It is designed to showcase how apprenticeships work for individuals, businesses, communities and the wider economy.

Craven College students have been speaking about the reasons they decided to pursue an apprenticeship option in their chosen careers.

Connor Parris, an Advanced Apprentice at Meritec, Skipton, said: “I had offers from some top universities for Computer Science but I decided that it wasn’t going to suit my needs so I pursued my IT career with an apprenticeship.

“It has helped me understand some fundamental principles in the world of IT that I would otherwise not know.

“I have also learned valuable skills such as customer care, general organisational requirements and have benefitted from an increase in confidence.”

Teona Gott completed her Advanced Apprenticeship in Business in October last year with Crimson Bear, Cross Hills, and since then has progressed into a sales and marketing role at the designer radiator company.

She said: “I learn better by doing. I wanted to expand my business knowledge and customer relation skills in a hands-on environment.”

Lawrence Trestrail, from Silsden, is an apprentice bench joiner with R N Wooler and Co in Keighley. He explained: “I chose joinery as I like the satisfaction of seeing the end product.

“An apprenticeship makes you more independent and you learn by doing things yourself. It’s completely different to school. ”

Daniel Duerdon is completing an advanced apprenticeship in agriculture at Mountain Farm, Blacko.

When he finished school, Daniel knew that he wanted to pursue a career in farming and did not want to continue with full time study.

He completed his level two apprenticeship on another farm and enjoyed the experience of working somewhere else and learning how other farms work. He is now back at home on the family farm completing his level three apprenticeship where he is learning how the farm works as a business and working towards his goal of one day running the farm.

Meanwhile, one of the firms to have embraced apprenticeships is design agency Squashed Pixel based in Keighley.

Over the past year the company has seen a significant increase in new business, which has led them to grow their in-house team.

As part of what they say is their ethos to invest in the community, the company has been investing in training, giving opportunities, sharing knowledge and ‘up-skilling’ young people.

They have been working closely with Craven College about supporting apprenticeships, and through this relationship they have been able to offer Sonny Adams an 18-month work placement with a view to employing him after he completes his course.

Sonny joins Squashed Pixel at Level Three apprentice in Information Technology.

He will work alongside the development team to learn on-the-job skills whilst studying one day a week at Craven College.

Sonny will spend his time initially getting to grips with various software packages, and is particularly looking forward to learning Shopify’s Liquid language.

Sonny said: “I’m really excited to be joining the guys at squashed pixel and can’t wait to start working on live sites and putting what I’ve learnt into practice.”

Jamie Throup will also join the team as a Web Developer.

With a strong background in retail and having worked with brands such as La Redoute Jamie brings a wealth of experience in WordPress, Shopify and email marketing.

In his new role, Jamie will be responsible for the design, build and development of web platforms.

Jamie said: “I’m looking forward to getting to work on a wide range of web development projects for not only local businesses, but also international ‘shopify e-commerce’ clients. Through learning these new development skills I hope to develop my management skills and look to manage Squashed Pixel’s development team as we continue to grow.”

Operations Director, Claire Gatenby said: “We’re incredibly pleased to be welcoming Jamie and Sonny to the team.

“These appointments not only demonstrate our commitment to the growth and development of our agency, but also to the investment in our local community.

“We’re committed to harnessing new talent and will continue to invest in apprenticeships in order to grow the digital talent of the future.”

Craven College is taking apprenticeship applications now for roles with immediate starts or for opportunities that will be available later in the year.

Businesses who are looking for apprentices or advice on how to utilise their apprenticeship levy can also get in touch for free advice and recruitment services.

Sue Husband, Director, National Apprenticeships Service said: “The success of National Apprenticeship Week hangs on the fantastic support we receive during each National Apprenticeship Week we’ve run.

“We want 2018 to eclipse previous triumphs and we would encourage apprentices, employers and our partners to join forces and help celebrate the brilliance of apprenticeships.

“Apprenticeships offer real career opportunities and National Apprenticeship Week 2018 will showcase how apprenticeships work across all industries, sectors and job roles, from school leaving age to older apprentices.

“There’s no better way to mark apprenticeship achievement than by the apprenticeship community coming together and shouting loudly about the difference apprenticeships are making.”