Cirencester College is celebrating National Apprenticeship Week (10-16th February 2025) and shining a light on the positive impact apprenticeships have on individuals, businesses, and the wider community.
Cirencester College welcome three new internal apprentices
Toby, Eva, and Trajan recently began exciting new chapters as apprentices in Content Creation, Business Administration and IT Support at Cirencester College, where they will develop invaluable skills and gain hands-on experience that will shape their future careers.
Toby, Level 3 Content Creator apprentice said “I chose to do an apprenticeship as I wanted experience working in content creation while being able to learn and earn at the same time. I’ve really enjoyed my apprenticeship so far, it’s exactly what I expected and wanted it to be by being able to work on all my interests. Through my apprenticeship I will have the skills needed to continue developing content and design in my future career.”
Cirencester College Principal Matt Reynolds said “The apprenticeship environment is now really vibrant. As a forward-thinking College we’ve built fantastic relationships with employers to help them get the new employees they need. Our support is also second to none. The great thing is they are a brilliant career option, and with increasing levels; they offer continual training and development opportunities for people while they build their careers. I’m also really pleased that we have our own apprentices in the College too. They are a genuine part of our team, and they add real value.”
Apprenticeship Journeys
Name: Freya
Type of Apprenticeship: Junior Content Producer
Company: PicPR
“I began my apprenticeship with Cirencester College in October 2023, and it has been a truly rewarding experience. I have always had a passion for content creation, but was uncertain about which specific area to focus on- whether it be graphic design, digital marketing, or social media management. This apprenticeship has provided me the opportunity to explore all of these sectors and more, allowing me to gain a well-rounded experience in content creation.
My day-to-day tasks include having nine clients, monitoring and sharing PR coverage, creating social media content, and coordinating with clients through calls and meetings. I am also responsible for identifying influencers for client collaborations, and providing on-site support during video shoots to ensure everything runs smoothly.
Name: Kavita
Type of Apprenticeship: PR and Communications
Company: PicPR
“No two days are the same working in an agency. I work with 9 clients in the hospitality, food and drink, care, and technology sectors. My daily tasks can range from writing press releases to blogs and scheduling social media posts.
The top three successes of my apprenticeship have been receiving three award wins for different clients I work on and being able to gain news coverage out of this.
I’m grateful to my workplace and apprenticeship provider for supporting me through my apprenticeship journey and I cannot wait to come out the other side with a PR and Comms qualification!
The apprenticeship team at Cirencester College are continuously caring, devoted, and supportive in their roles, ensuring I have everything I need to complete my apprenticeship to the best of my ability”
Name: Lottie
Type of Apprenticeship: Business Administrator
Company: Cirencester Friendly Society
“I chose an apprenticeship because I could learn and earn at the same time as well as staying at home close to my family and friends which is very important to me. I am doing a Business Administration apprenticeship with Cirencester Friendly Society, working across lots of different teams within Distribution, enabling me to have lots of insights into different areas of the business and gain experience from different sectors such as marketing and adviser services. The whole Society is very supportive, and the company culture is encouraging and friendly which is rare in such a busy company! I would definitely recommend an apprenticeship, and I look forward to learning more and progressing my career here within the Society.”
Name: Amy
Type of Apprenticeship: Business Administrator
Company: Cirencester Friendly Society
“I was attracted to apprenticeships as I liked the idea of being able to work and study. I took Business A-level at College and was excited to experience business in the real world, together with some integrated study. What has surprised me about my apprenticeship is how engaged my employer is with my study and how engaged the college are with my work development. The most valuable thing I have learnt is to keep asking questions to build knowledge and understanding. I’m also more aware of the importance of effective communication skills. I am keen to keep building on my knowledge and personal development with the support of my line manager and apprenticeship coach. The apprenticeship programme will be invaluable in helping me navigate my career path.”
Jessica Vitale, Senior Distribution Operations Manager at Cirencester Friendly Society, said “Helping to nurture new talent with Cirencester College and supporting them in their career ambitions in a local organisation, means we can help the area thrive. This is a hugely important scheme for Cirencester Friendly. We are introducing a new generation to financial services and the enormous career opportunities that exist in this industry, across a wide range of roles. It helps to embed Cirencester Friendly into the local community and demonstrates our desire to create a positive and supportive workplace, where people want to work and grow.”
Name: Tilly
Type of Apprenticeship: Events Assistant
Company: Howard Tenens Logistics
“Within these first six months I have had many opportunities to co-ordinate and take the lead on a variety of internal and external events. I’ve helped deliver corporate business review days, Christmas parties, charity fundraiser events, National Lorry Week and I am now underway supporting our busy 2025 schedule. Doing an apprenticeship has opened doors, that wouldn’t necessarily have opened for me, If I had gone down the university route. I am learning so much from this role and from the team around me. This first-hand experience and learning opportunity is something that I really value and appreciate. Cirencester College makes a big effort to only work with reputable employers and are committed to helping their learners achieve positive outcomes.”
Cirencester College Apprentices and Employers Recognised at Annual Awards Ceremony
Cirencester College recently held their annual Awards Ceremony, where over 60 former students and local employers were recognised for outstanding personal achievement and contribution to the local community.
Publica won the award for the Best Employer Contribution to the College Apprenticeships for the successful ‘grow your own’ initiative they launched in collaboration with the College, which offers employment opportunities to local school and College leavers. So far, 10 apprentices have successfully achieved qualifications, with four more currently on program.
Lauren Hanratty, Service Support Manager at Publica, said “We have worked with Cirencester College for six years, and within this time we have recruited some fabulous apprentices who have brought fresh new ideas, lots of enthusiasm and have also helped our existing staff with developing their skills in training. The apprenticeship programme gave them a great insight of business fundamentals and from this most of our apprentices have secured new roles and are progressing within their teams; it’s amazing to see them develop their skills and knowledge following on from their apprenticeships. Working with Cirencester College has been brilliant, the whole team have been very supportive to both the managers and our apprentices, ensuring that everyone has the skills and knowledge to succeed. We very much look forward to continuing to work with Cirencester College. “
Raid was the recipient of The Digital and IT Apprentice Award, and he was commended by his employer, Total DS Solutions, for his consistently positive attitude and eagerness to learn.
Sam was named the Cirencester College Apprentice of the Year for the dedication and discipline he showed towards his accountancy apprenticeship with Lodge Service. His line manager said, “Sam’s apprenticeship has given him confidence and a willingness to believe in himself.”
Archaeology
Cirencester College are the first training provider in the UK to offer apprenticeships in Archaeology, and have worked with Cotswold Archaeology, National Trust, Foundations Archaeology, Albion Archaeology, Archaeology South-East, and MAP Archaeology to support 18 Archaeological Technicians as they begin fulfilling careers in archaeology.
The College runs two annual trips each year, and Archaeology apprentices recently spent three days touring a variety of key sites which included Avebury, Stonehenge, West Kennet Long Barrow, Maiden Castle, Cheddar Gorge, Devizes Museum, and Salisbury Museum. The trips are designed so that apprentices can apply knowledge learnt in the classroom to the landscape, and they also present their own research on-site.
Apprentice Kayleigh says “I found the Wessex trip to be such an enlightening experience as it gave the opportunity to really go out and see examples of the sites we’ve been discussing in lectures. Learning about different time periods online is one thing, but going out into the landscape and being able to visualise how prehistoric peoples used it is another, and gives much more insight into why they were doing things, like constructing megalithic structures in certain places.”
T-level Thursday
As part of National Apprenticeship Week, the College is celebrating T-level Thursday. Cirencester College was the first provider in Gloucestershire and the region to pioneer T-levels in 2020. Now in its fifth year, the College offers a broad range of subjects.
Developed in collaboration with employers and businesses the content meets the needs of the industry and prepares students for work and further training or Higher Education.
Lawrence completed T-level Business Management and Administration at Cirencester College in 2024 and gained the highest possible grade of a distinction.
Lawrence has progressed to a degree apprenticeship in Project Management with Thales, and he recently returned to Cirencester College to share his experiences with current T-level Business students. Lawrence explained how his industry placement, which is a compulsory part of all T-level courses, has benefitted him going into the workplace and how much his employer valued this.
For more information on this story, please contact chloe.suter@cirencester.ac.uk
