National Apprenticeship Week 2019

Three of the Assembly’s former apprentices outside the Senedd

Emily Morgan, who now works for our Estates and Facilities Management team, talks about her experience at the Assembly…

After completing an art foundation diploma in Glamorgan University I took a gap year to hopefully pave a career for myself.  I was considering going to university to study art when I became aware of the opportunity to become an Apprentice in the National Assembly for Wales.  I automatically knew I should apply as I knew that the Assembly was an exemplary employer.

I completed an application form using the STAR technique and sent it off with the hope of being successful. To my delight I was invited to attend an assessment centre where I was required to undergo a number of assessments specific to the post. The moment I arrived I was made to feel very welcome by the HR team. I was initially very nervous, but my nerves were soon put to rest by the friendly staff around me. After the assessment centre I was invited to interview. I attended my first panel interview and was made to feel at ease by the interview panel straight away. I received a letter a week later informing me that I had been successful, and that I had become an Apprentice! Needless to say I was overwhelmed and very excited!

During my induction, I was welcomed by my head of service, my team and my line manager. I was placed in the Resources group which consists of Human Resources, Governance and Audit and Financial Services. I have worked mainly within Human Resources; where I was based predominantly in the learning and development team and the recruitment team.

Throughout my Apprenticeship I have gained Essential Skills, an NVQ qualification, valuable work experience and some fantastic memories. The Apprenticeship scheme was the best decision I have ever made. I have gained a wealth of administrative experience and have made friends for life. After passing my NVQ and my team support interview, I gained employment in Commission and Member Support as a team support. I have since received further promotion and am now settling into my role as an Executive Officer in Estates and Facilities Management.  

For the first time I have realised that University is not necessarily the only path into employment. The Apprenticeship scheme has taken me down a different path, but it has definitely been the right one for me.

Find out more: Apprenticeships at the National Assembly for Wales​​​

Co-investment and mobilising a productive and skilled workforce in Wales

April 2015 saw the Welsh Government begin to implement its framework for co-investment in skills. This framework changes the way in which training, skills and apprenticeships are funded in Wales.

The new approach to investing in skills means that the total cost of training, in cash terms, is shared between two or more people. For businesses or individuals who employ apprentices or offer work-based training, the change means that they must increase their financial contributions to meet the cost of skills training in their workforce.

William Graham AM, Chair of the Enterprise and Business Committee

Expecting to be fully implemented by 2017, the Enterprise and Business Committee wanted to find out how this would impact Welsh businesses and training providers. Would the new framework help meet the Welsh Government’s aim of “ensuring that Wales develops a competitive edge in mobilising a productive and skilled workforce”?

The Committee held business breakfasts, in both North and South Wales to explore these issues further. The first meeting took place in Brains Brewery, Cardiff with a variety of representatives from the academic, business and training sectors.

Gwawr Thomas, Creative Skillset Cymru talks about taking part in the event and explains the importance of co-investment in skills within the creative industries:

Participants discussed the need to consider the different levels of financial support available to a variety of businesses who may be operating on different scales. Increased investment from employers may mean that those businesses then select candidates who have experience – which could see them neglect young candidates which would see the policy work against the Welsh Government’s aim.

Dylan’s, Menai Bridge – Anglesey

The second breakfast meeting took place in Dylan’s Restaurant, Anglesey with local training providers and business representatives. Iwan Thomas, the Regional Skills and Employment Lead for the North Wales Economic Ambition Board was one of the invited guests.

One of the key messages he wanted to get across was for the Welsh Government to consider a regional approach to co-investment, and how they should be taking the change forward:

Having held both business breakfasts, the Enterprise and Business Committee sent a letter of recommendations to the Deputy Minister for Skills and Technology, Julie James AM to consider in relation to the policy change. You can read the letter of recommendations here: http://bit.ly/1fzxrp1

Assembly People: Apprenticeship Week

Our apprentice Lori with a member of HR in the Assembly library

Apprenticeship Week celebrates the positive impact apprenticeships have on individuals and businesses.

Lori Nicolls, apprentice with our Communications team, talks about her experience…

Recently, I visited my former school, Blackwood Comprehensive in Gwent as part of the ‘Apprenticeship Ambassadors’ scheme working with the Welsh Government’s Department for Education and Skills.

I was thrilled to be chosen, and I couldn’t wait to give my talk to the students on my experience of being an apprentice and working in the National Assembly for Wales. Apprehensive, but armed with my notes, I spoke in front of 200 year 10 students.

Before leaving school, I wasn’t sure what career path I wanted to take, so after applying for numerous jobs with no luck, I was surprised to see that there were apprenticeships available in business and media, as I had always thought apprenticeships were for more traditional courses like hairdressing or construction.

In February 2013, I was pleased when I managed to secure a position as an apprentice at the National Assembly, and was placed in the Communications department. My role varies daily, which is what I love about my job. Some days I’ll be focusing on social media, creating and drafting tweets to engage with the public, other days I may be helping my colleague in planning or hosting events, or some days I may be working on the Assembly’s publications.

With more and more employers asking for experience, an apprenticeship really is the best of both worlds. You learn whilst earning, whilst gaining invaluable experience.

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The apprenticeship programme is funded by the Welsh Government with the support of the European Social Fund.

From butchery to baking, engineering to electrical or hospitality to HR there is a huge range of apprenticeship frameworks available for young people across Wales.

For more information about becoming an apprentice, please visit www.careerswales.com or call 0800 0284844. Also find us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/apprenticeshipscymru  and on Twitter @apprenticewales

EYST video

This video was produced by the Ethnic Youth Support Team (EYST) in Swansea about the services they provide. EYST have helped the National Assembly a lot over the last year, with their members taking part in inquiries like the Enterprise and Business Committee’s inquiry into Apprenticeships in Wales. Take a look at their video: