Stepping foot onto a new career ladder can be intimidating, whether you’re straight out of school or have been in the world of work for years.
It’s why so many people choose apprenticeships as a way to build an occupation they can be passionate about.
An apprenticeship is a job with training. It’s a real job, with hands-on experience. You will have a contract of employment and an apprenticeship study programme to support your development.
And apprenticeships aren’t just for those who are beginning their careers.
Salford City College. Credit: Supplied
Apprenticeships at Salford City College deliver a wide range of apprenticeships at many levels, including programmes for those already working at a management level.
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One such person is Sarah Scanlan. Last year, she moved into a more senior role at Salford City Council and went down the apprenticeship route to invest in her personal development to advance her leadership skills.
She said: “I saw this as a great opportunity to invest in me.
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“I had limited experience of managing people, and so I really felt the need to broaden my skill set.”
Sarah undertook her apprenticeship during the pandemic but found that studying in this way still provided a lot of support.
Sarah and Jordi with assessors Lydia and Karen. Credit: Supplied
Sarah added: “It’s been really helpful to know that there is so much support on hand from the College, no matter what day or time, there’s always someone to help you when you need it.
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“My assessor Karen has been the biggest help to me throughout this whole process. Whether it’s at eight o’clock in the morning or six in the evening, she has been there to answer all of my burning questions.”
Sarah also had the task of supporting another apprentice at a much earlier stage of their career path, sharing her skills and knowledge with Level 3 Business Administration apprentice Jordi Matthews.
“Apprenticeships are challenging but immensely rewarding,” Sarah said.
Jordi said: “I chose to do an apprenticeship as I left University, and I thought that it was a great opportunity to get into the world of work and to get onto the career ladder.”
Kris Buckley, who undertook an accountancy apprenticeship at Salford City College. Credit: Supplied
Another person who embarked on an apprenticeship later in life is Kris Buckley, who had previously worked as a section leader in a supermarket before undertaking an accountancy qualification.
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He said: “Working in an industry that wants and relies on experience, I feel privileged that my employer has invested in my development through an apprenticeship.
“With every big decision, there will be reservations, but deciding to pursue my apprenticeship was too good of an opportunity to pass up.”
Now almost finished with his apprenticeship, Kris said: “Having completed my level 2 qualification at Salford City College, undertaking an apprenticeship with the College felt like a positive next step, having experienced the expert and professional training they deliver.
“I am looking forward to the future and climbing up the ladder in my career.”
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If you would like to follow in the footsteps of Sarah, Jordi and Kris and start an apprenticeship, then contact the Apprenticeships at Salford City College team on: 0161 631 5555 or [email protected]
Featured image: Unsplash
Business
‘Provocative’ life insurance firm hit with advertising restrictions after using Harold Shipman picture
Emily Sergeant
A life insurance company that controversially used a picture of Harold Shipman in a recent advertisement is to have all of its future marketing campaigns restricted.
Leicester-based firm DeadHappy – which is known for its strapline ‘life insurance to die for’, and has a reputation for shocking adverts – grabbed headlines last week after it used a picture of the infamous Manchester serial killer alongside the text “Life insurance: Because you never know who your doctor might be.”
The use of Shipman’s picture understandably received a barrage of backlash online, and was consistently branded “tasteless” and “disgusting” by critics.
The advert was even condemned by the families of some of Shipman’s victims.
A “popular” and “well-liked” local doctor, Shipman had been practising in Hyde for over 20 years, but went on to become Britain’s most prolific serial killer after doubts were raised over the validity of the will left by one of his patients following her death in 1998.
Shipman was eventually found guilty of killing 15 of his patients back in 2000, with his total number of victims said to be around 250.
Life insurance firm used picture of Manchester serial killer Harold Shipman in ‘disgusting’ advert / Credit: DeadHappy
After the advert continued to draw backlash, and a number of formal complaints were made by industry professionals, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) – which is responsible for regulating the financial services industry – has now ruled that all of DeadHappy’s future adverts and marketing campaigns must be cleared by its risk carrier before being allowed to run, according to BBC News.
The FCA now states that the company “must cease to communicate any further financial promotions that have not received prior approval”, which means future adverts will need to be cleared by DeadHappy’s insurance provider, Shepherds Friendly.
On top of being hit with these restrictions, the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has also said it is currently in the process of reviewing more than 50 complaints about the Harold Shipman advert.
DeadHappy has now apologised for the advert.
Addressing the FCA’s ruling, Andy Knott – founder of DeadHappy – said: “In our attempt to be provocative and make people really stop and think about their need for life insurance, we have made a mistake and for this we apologise.
“We will now go away and immediately review all of our current and future marketing campaigns to ensure we learn from this mistake.”
Shepherds Friendly says it is “committed” to its values and the advert “does not align” with them.
“Following the FCA’s restriction on DeadHappy’s activities, we are ensuring those requirements are complied with,” a Shepherds Friendly spokesperson concluded.
Featured Image – BBC
Business
New images give sneak peak at £210m redevelopment plans for ‘eyesore’ Manchester hotel
Emily Sergeant
New images giving a sneak peak at impressive £210 million plans to redevelop a Manchester city centre hotel once branded an “eyesore” have been released.
The former Renaissance Hotel is undoubtedly one of the most divisive buildings on Deansgate, was notably once labelled an “eyesore”, and had been facing demolition since 2018 – but plans were eventually unveiled to redevelop it into a part-office, part-hotel, and part-residential complex a few years back.
The brutalist structure is set for a whopping £210 million makeover, which is being overseen by Property Alliance Group and Starwood Capital.
Developers have now released a handful of new images showing what the new offices will look like.
New images give sneak peak at £210m redevelopment plans for ‘eyesore’ Manchester hotel / Credit: Property Alliance Group
According to redevelopment plans, the offices within the building will be spread over four floors and be around 36,000 sq ft in size.
With work expected to begin on the building by the end of next month, plans also show that there will be a communal roof terrace, a wellbeing studio, bike store, and showers with changing rooms, as well as flexible office space.
Speaking on the redevelopment plans, Alex Russell – CEO at Property Alliance Group – said the project is as “important” to the company as it is to the city of Manchester.
“It demands best-in-class for design and amenities to maximise its riverside location [and] we cannot wait to relaunch this vibrant and engaging destination for the city’s residents and visitors.”
Will Lewis, who is the founder of OBI, which is the company that’s been tasked with “bringing the commercial space to market” added that he wants to see both large and small companies rent office space within the building once redevelopment is complete.
“New build office development of this nature is unique, as it enables both large corporates seeking a self-contained HQ and SMEs to take space on a floor-by-floor basis,” he explained.
“The building will boast an array of high-quality amenities including a vibrant ground floor coffee offering, wellbeing space and a stunning roof terrace and pavilion.”