Apprentice Spotlight: Imogen Collins, GloucestershireLive Apprenticeship Awards 2020 Finalist

Celebrating outstanding apprentices at Gloucestershire College

The winners of the GloucestershireLive Apprenticeship Awards 2020 are soon to be announced during a virtual awards ceremony on Thursday 19th November 2020. Gloucestershire College is proud to share the achievements of our outstanding apprentices, with six finalists in the awards this year. We are delighted to shine a spotlight on our finalists to celebrate their incredible achievements and inspire others to pursue an apprenticeship. Congratulations to all our finalists, we have our fingers crossed for you on the big night!

Imogen Collins, Dental Nurse Apprentice at myFACE Dentistry and Facial Aesthetics

Congratulations on being a finalist in the Gloucestershire Apprenticeship Awards! How does it feel?

I feel absolutely honoured and proud to be a finalist in the Gloucestershire Apprenticeship awards. Just being put through as a finalist fills me with such achievement and I am so grateful that I have got this far. I was recommended by my learning tutor at Gloucestershire College and employer to apply for the apprenticeship awards as they felt I have exceeded all expectations of my job role and have worked very hard to get to where I am now.

Tell us how you would feel if you won ‘Apprentice of the Year 2020’?

I would feel very proud and have a great sense of achievement. I would also feel overwhelmed as I have never won anything before! The awards are great because they boost the confidence of apprentices and they recognise the hard work that goes into an apprenticeship. 

What made you choose to do an apprenticeship?

I wanted to learn and earn in a job which I knew would get me the career I wanted and a career in which I can progress. I searched for apprenticeships on the government website and applied to be a dental nurse at myFACE Dentistry and Facial Aesthetics. The application process was very easy and simple to complete.

Tell us a bit about your job role as an apprentice.

My job role as an apprentice was very varied. As a dental nurse, you have many different duties. For example, I had to take responsibility for decontaminating instruments, maintaining dental equipment, looking after patient records and working closely with the dentists. My favourite thing about the apprenticeship was meeting new people who were also doing the same apprenticeship as me. I also liked the ‘on the job’ learning and the help I received. I would recommend anybody doing an apprenticeship.

Congratulations from everyone at Gloucestershire College, Imogen! Best of luck for the awards.

Gloucestershire College Apprentice Finalists in the GloucestershireLive Apprenticeship Awards 2020

• Carl Eustace, HR Apprentice at Superdry Plc in the Business, Administrative & Financial Services category
• Ella Russell, Business Administration Apprentice at Tewkesbury School in the Business, Administrative & Financial Services category
• Jack Chapman, Engineering Apprentice at Renishaw in the Engineering, Manufacturing, Energy & Electrical category
• Ellie Martin, Business Administration Apprentice at Pittville School in the Health, Wellbeing, Care & Education category
• Imogen Collins, Dental Nursing Apprentice at myFACE Dentistry and Facial Aesthetics in the Health, Wellbeing, Care & Education category
• Shannon Phillips, Customer Service apprentice at Truly Tailored Recruitment in the Hospitality, Travel & Customer Service category

Gloucestershire College is a proud finalist for Gloucestershire's Apprenticeship Training Provider of the Year 2020

Director of Apprenticeships and Employer Training, Julie Tegg, said: “We are delighted to be named a finalist in this year’s apprenticeship awards. Thanks to our industry-expert trainers, bespoke programmes accredited by leading bodies and new training suites created with employer input, we provide businesses with cutting-edge training solutions that are flexible and responsive to skills gaps. 

“As always, the success of our apprenticeship programmes lies largely with our dedicated Employer Training & Apprenticeships team, so I would like to thank them all once again for their hard work and look forward to celebrating with them on awards night!” 

Watch the virtual awards live on Thursday 19th November 2020

We’re looking forward to finding out the winners, congratulations to all the finalists! The event will be streamed live on YouTube from 6.30pm and hosted by Steve Knibbs from BBC Points West.