Success as NEW Engineering Apprenticeship Event attracts more than 100 through the college’s doors

Opportunities for Apprenticeships, work experience and volunteering were available on the night, and there was also the chance to speak to the college’s expert Apprenticeship Team, employers and current Engineering Apprentices directly about careers in the sector.

A number of workshops were offered too for visitors to take part in to develop employability and interview skills and information was available on Nelson and Colne College’s vocational offering, careers support and progression routes onto a Higher Education qualification with NCC or Accrington and Rossendale College.

Off the back of the event, further employability workshops to improve interview techniques and develop CVs are planned during half term week next month, from Monday 18 until Friday 25 February. Anyone is welcome to attend on one or more of the days, and places are not limited to those who wish to pursue an Engineering pathway. Contact the Apprenticeship Team by email or call 01282 440319 to register.

Jay Pryor, 17, formerly of Blessed Trinity RC Community College, is on Nelson and Colne College’s Level 2 Pre-Apprenticeship programme and wants to go down the Electrical Engineering route in the future.

He said: “I really enjoyed learning about the different pathways in the Engineering sector and where achieving qualifications can lead to. I also learned what each employer does and whether I should study electrics or go down the CNC route without electrics involved.”

Nelson and Colne College is the number one college in the country for overall Apprenticeship achievement, at all ages and levels, and the college’s Apprenticeship achievement rates are consistently 20% above the national average. The college also places as the number one college in Lancashire for employer satisfaction, according to the latest FE Choices Survey.

Chris Price, Production Manager at Pendle Engineering in Nelson, said: “I attended the Nelson and Colne College Engineering Apprenticeship Event alongside our award-winning third year Apprentice Thomas Marchant.

“It was a brilliant evening, and really well organised by the team at Nelson and Colne College. The event gave me a great opportunity to meet with some really great future Apprentices and we are looking forward to working through their CVs to select the next generation of Pendle Engineering engineers.”

Ashley St. John-Claire, Training and Development Manager at BCW Manufacturing in Burnley, said: “It was a great opportunity to meet so many enthusiastic Apprentices and the BCW team had a fantastic time at the event. The setting and support was ideal, staff friendly, and top marks to the Nelson and Colne College catering team for looking after us extremely well with the food.”

Director of Apprenticeships and Training at Nelson and Colne College Barbara Livesey said: “I’m delighted that our new Engineering Apprenticeship Event was such a huge success. It was fantastic to see so many young people showing a serious interest in an Engineering career and the range of high quality Apprenticeship, work experience and volunteering opportunities in the sector.

“Developing this potential into a tangible pool of talent to support the future economy locally and regionally – where Engineering and Manufacturing is so strong – is a key priority for the college.

“I’m also thrilled that the employers found the event extremely useful in helping them discover potential future employees and we’ve had some brilliant feedback. Going forward, our January Engineering Apprenticeship Event will become a firm fixture in the calendar as the go to event for employers seeking their stars of the future.”

Nelson and Colne College’s next Year 11 Open Event and Interview Evening is on Tuesday 5 February from 5.30pm and 7.30pm. Visitors can find out about the wide range of options available to study at NCC – including more than 30 A Level subjects, a wide range of high quality, career focused vocational programmes and Apprenticeship opportunities in a multitude of different sectors.

Prospective students will also have the chance to enjoy a tour of the campus and view the college’s state-of-the-art facilities, meet expert tutors and members of the Careers Team, take part in a range of exciting ‘have a go’ activities and learn about Nelson and Colne College’s diverse and constantly-evolving extracurricular offer.