Member Article

B-Skill apprentice earns permanent role with training specialist

A young woman has secured her first step on the employment ladder at the head office of apprenticeship supplier B-Skill, after signing up for an employability course and apprenticeship with the Newcastle-based work and training specialist.

Gemma Farmer, from North Shields, is learning key office skills on her one-year Business Administration Apprenticeship and is studying towards a Level 2 NVQ qualification. The 20-year-old began her training in January and has just completed her probationary period.

Gemma is now a permanent member of the B-Skill team and is aiming to progress to a Level 3 qualification.

She said: “This is my first job. I went on an employability course where I found out about the apprenticeship.

“What’s great is that you can learn as you go. They don’t expect you to know everything, and you get training. I’m nearly finished the course now and it’s been really good. It’s not as hard as I expected but it has been challenging.”

Gemma works alongside B-Skill’s business improvement specialist, Faye McKenzie.

Faye said: “We interviewed a couple of people but Gemma stood out because she was just the sweetest person ever, she interviewed really well and she was very polite and confident. She is very mature for her age and gets on with everyone. She’s a really hard worker and very reliable. We like her a lot.

“Gemma does a bit of everything, from reception to admin and supporting all the members of staff. Her trainer is also employed by us and he comes in once a month to observe how she’s working.”

Although many employers and young people still think of apprenticeships in terms of training for a trade such as engineering or construction, B-Skill can provide apprenticeships for dozens of different careers. The company specialises in finding the right recruits for employers, removing the potential risk for businesses that are considering offering an apprenticeship.

Paul Wileman, managing director of B-Skill, said: “For employers, taking on an apprentice is both a cost-effective and reliable method of finding the right person for the job. Our decision to employ Gemma shows just how well our system works and thanks to her hard work and great attitude she has earned herself a permanent place in our team.

“Business Administration is just one of the many apprenticeships we provide, and young people may be surprised to find that we can probably match their career aspirations – whether that’s for a hands-on or office-based position.”

B-Skill’s apprenticeships scheme is run with funding from the Skills Funding Agency, supported by the European Social Fund. For more information about how to get involved, please contact Andrea Aylwin on 0845 2303736 or email business@b-skill.com.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Sarah Waddington .