2022

We have asked some members of the Employer Training & Apprenticeships team to address some of the most common misconceptions about apprenticeships that they hear from local employers.

Following the latest government changes to Covid measures on 19 January 2022, we have some updated advice for students attending our campuses.

We were delighted to welcome the Rt Hon Julia Lopez MP, Minister for Media, Data and Digital Infrastructure to ADA at Cheltenham Campus; supporting the town’s ambitions and progress in developing the UK’s cyber sector and ecosystem.

The last week of January saw Gloucestershire College (GC) welcoming a group of business leaders from Gloucestershire-based SMEs for 2 days of free cyber security training at its Advanced Digital Academy (ADA).

At Gloucestershire College we are passionate about apprenticeships as the enablers of opportunities for anyone looking to train, re-train or upskill. You can achieve a certificate, diploma, and even a degree level qualification, making apprenticeships a good alternative to university and full-time study. Discover our award-winning apprenticeships across 17 industries with some of Gloucestershire's top employers.

Not long before #NAW2022, we were delighted to welcome the Rt Hon Julia Lopez MP, Minister for Media, Data and Digital Infrastructure to ADA at Cheltenham Campus where she met our IT & Cyber students and apprentices.

In celebration of the National Apprenticeship Week 2022, we asked our current apprentices as well as alumni to get in touch and share their stories. You can imagine our delight to hear from Geoff Goring, who was an Engineering apprentice with GC more than 30 years ago, from 1985 until 1988. Here's his story.

Whilst hundreds of local organisations are great advocates for apprenticeships in the county, there are still many great businesses in Gloucestershire who are yet to reap the rewards of running an apprenticeship programme. Find out why your business should hire an apprentice here.

As part of #NAW2022, we are busting top myths about employing apprentices to encourage local employers to think differently about how they use them. How many did you think were true?

Life has changed for most of us over the past years, but apprenticeships are still one of the best ways to start your career, if you want to earn while you learn. Here are 8 things you need to know about apprenticeships.

Applying for an apprenticeship is a little different to applying for a full-time college course and not everyone is guaranteed a role, as they are becoming increasingly competitive. Here we’ve listed the best ways to find you perfect apprenticeship.

As the pace of the ambitious GC Zero project picks up speed, both campuses now have two drilling rigs in operation and are making great headway in the task of drilling 40 boreholes at each site.

As the National Apprenticeship Week is in full swing, we’ve caught up with Finley Walker, our first L4 Software Tester apprentice to have graduated with distinction.

There has never been a better time to break into an industry that is crying out for candidates to protect the nation from cyber-crime, or progress into the digital world using coding skills.

We’re delighted to announce that university-level IT and computing learners can now choose to specialise in cyber security, network engineering or software engineering on their path to achieving a full degree at Gloucestershire College.

On 17 February, GC’s Restaurant Number One was bustling with over 40 guests enjoying a delicious breakfast prepared by the College’s professional cookery students. After the breakfast, the attendees proceeded to GC’s Advanced Digital Academy (ADA), a state-of-the art digital skills training facility, for presentations and discussion.

Training a skilled workforce for Gloucestershire’s booming IT and cyber security industry.

Until further advice from the College, students who test positive for COVID or feel unwell should not to come onto campus for 5 days.

Gloucestershire is set to become the cyber capital of the UK and we are preparing our students by introducing them to employers, ensuring they are ready to become the workforce of the future.

More than 300 people descended on our Gloucester campus on Wednesday 16 March 2022 to attend our annual Apprenticeship Open Event. The event, open to everyone aged 16+ interested in training, re-training or upskilling through apprenticeships, invited attendees to discover more about apprenticeships, and to meet Gloucestershire-based employers from a wide range of industries looking to recruit apprentices.

Gloucestershire’s Apprenticeship Training Provider of the Year 2020 and 2021 has been partnering with construction and trade employers in the county for the last 30 years.

Local construction firm Elijah Willow provides innovative, unique, and high-quality design and build services. This includes full design and build construction, as well as bespoke furniture (creating unique pieces for clients all over the world!), and also small works and property maintenance services.

Gloucestershire College proudly partners with Elijah Willow Construction as their apprenticeship training provider. We caught up with Dan Ponting, Director at Elijah Willow Construction to find out what part apprentices play in his successful business.

T Levels are transforming technical education as a high quality alternative to A Levels, combining 80% classroom learning with 20% work placement.

Sarah Atthey joined the College in July last year as an Associate Lecturer in Electrical, having previously worked in industry for 16 years.

James Turley, Trainer in Construction/Plumbing & Heating has been teaching at the College for 6 years having joined the industry as a 17 year-old apprentice.

Rob has been with GC for 10 years. Prior to that, he spent 7 years at Ford and 17 years at Volkswagen. "I wanted to pass on my experience and knowledge, to make a difference – teaching allowed me to do that.”

Glen Taylor, GC’s Lecturer in Construction started his personal apprenticeship journey straight out of school and worked as a bricklayer for over 20 years, specialising in site and general brickwork and eventually setting up his own company.

Inigo Turner, a second year Motor Vehicle Service and Maintenance Technician apprentice at GC has always wanted to become a car mechanic. We caught up with him to find out how his apprenticeship at GC has supported his ambition.

"What I love about my apprenticeship is the fact that it’s a gateway into the trade. It’s a perfect opportunity to learn and get a hands-on experience. My dad was an engineering apprentice at Delphi, so I’ve learnt from him that an apprenticeship can set you up for life."

"My advice to anyone deciding what to do after school, weigh your options and don’t rush into getting a degree. I definitely recommend doing an apprenticeship in Plumbing and Domestic Heating, it’s a 4 year commitment, but you learn a lot at the College and also get invaluable trade experience at the employers.”

As our GC Zero project is nearing completion, a second rig is in place at Gloucester campus to progress the drilling after completing all 40 boreholes at our Cheltenham Campus.

“Initially, I studied Engineering at College. I then went into labouring with a gang at Mike Etheridge. I found the job interesting, and they were happy to support me onto an apprenticeship. As a Bricklayer apprentice, I work on projects with companies such as Bovis Homes and Linden Homes. I spend a lot of time onsite helping to build new homes all over Gloucestershire.

We're gearing up for the September 2022 starts of our construction and building services apprenticeship programmes at GC. This month, we're catching up with some of our construction and building services apprentices, to see what inspired them to learn a trade and what they enjoy best about being an apprentice.

"My advice to anyone considering an apprenticeship in electrical, only start an apprenticeship if you are seriously thinking about doing it as a career long term. But if you are, I definitely recommend it."

Check out the latest Covid policy update for Gloucestershire College students.

"Both teams have demonstrated strong technical knowledge, as well as innovation, leadership and project management skills. It is going to be a fantastic experience for them to present their design solutions to expert judges in the Grand Final."

"Home grown talent upholds ethos, morale and ensures that values of our company remain consistent and integral from generation to generation." - Joshua Carter, Managing Director at E G Carter

After months of hard work, we’re pleased to say that the major works for our GC Zero project are coming to an end, and all is now in place to make the final connections which will see our Gloucester and Cheltenham campuses switchover to using fully renewable energy.

“Business management and administration roles are incredibly beneficial to understanding the basis of how a business is run. This builds upon your professional conduct, customer service skills, and dealing with customer data to a legal standard. It is incredibly beneficial for the real world and can be applied to a variety of other jobs.”

“The best thing about apprenticeships is the ability to learn from a variety of different people to give me as much exposure as possible to all elements of marketing. I would recommend an apprenticeship in Cyber co-working space as it gives you access to a wide amount of people and experience.”

New research shows the extent of the South West’s demand for sustainable living, as the majority would consider a home to be worth more money if it was sustainably constructed. A report released alongside the research highlights the technical skills that are needed if the South West’s consumers’ green ambitions are to be met.

We caught up with Tyler, a business administrator apprentice at Hub8 to find out more about why he wanted to do an apprenticeship and his career ambitions for the future.

Discover a great range of options for earning a degree-level qualification with support to launch or further your career in a range of industries.

One of the two teams representing Gloucestershire College (GC) and the University of the West of England (UWE) in the Grand Finals have won the People’s Prize of the prestigious, annual Engineers Without Borders’ Engineering for People Design Challenge competition.

Gloucestershire College (GC) is thrilled to have been named a 2030 Climate Action finalist in this year’s Green Gown Awards, thanks to its industry-leading GC Zero project and commitment to driving decarbonisation in education.

Summer is finally here! Now the weather is warming and exams have finished, you may be wondering how to make the most of your time off. Well look no further as we’ve compiled 10 bucket list ideas for students to do in summer before returning to college.

This is the third year in a row when the College has been recognised for its ongoing contribution to the success of its apprentices and their employers – GC won the Training Provider of the Year in 2021 and 2020.

After months of hard work, we celebrated the completion of our ambitious GC Zero building works on Friday 22 July, taking us closer to our goal of delivering net zero campuses by 2030 and cementing our place as a leader in driving decarbonisation in the education sector.

Although we look forward to a break from college and well-earned rest over the summer, it can be difficult to break from our usual routines. Therefore, we have compiled nine useful top tips to support your well-being whether you are a current student or thinking of joining us.

Starting college is an exciting step, but what kind of changes can you expect when you move on from school?

Gloucestershire has a vast array of things to do and the best thing is they are all within distance from our campuses! Whether you are studying at our Gloucester, Cheltenham, or Forest of Dean campus there is something fun for our students to do.

The team actively works with over 1000 employers to upskill and develop their workforces, in particular focusing on building the skills of tomorrow and ensuring apprenticeships are relevant, responsive and enable apprentices to make a significant contribution to the success of their business; while supporting the apprentices every step of the way.

“Many employers are still unaware of the government funding available for apprentices over 18 and if they are able to engage in an apprenticeship as a mature student. It is lovely to see that anyone of any age has various options to pursue their desired career in."

"I get to work with some amazing businesses and wonderful colleagues. In any typical day I could be in the office, on a construction site, a coffee shop, working from home, in one of our workshops… the list could go on and on. There is always something to learn in FE which keeps me on my feet!”

"In our engineering degree courses, we tailor the skillset to meet business needs relevant to our employer partners. Your apprentices will be working in the knowledge that at the end of their apprenticeship they will have a qualification that is tremendously valuable to them individually and to you as an employer."

“Apprentices learn with you and from you, as well as from their college trainer. So they are getting an excellent all round knowledge base as well as learning your own methods and practices. They appreciate the commitment you give them and you’ll appreciate the depth of skills and knowledge that they acquire. Apprentices can become your most loyal employees – supporting the business as it develops and becoming your next team leaders, trainers and managers.”

It’s been four years since our fabulous new Forest Campus opened its doors in Cinderford, so we’ve taken the opportunity to celebrate all of our favourite things about the campus.

"Take nothing you see and touch for granted as that leads to mediocrity. If designed by man, every line on the drawing serves a purpose and if you can use logic and reason to understand that purpose – no matter how obscure that might be - you will understand the designer’s intentions and thus the engineering art you hold in your hand."

Gloucestershire College is deeply saddened by the death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. We would like to express our gratitude for a lifetime of public service to our country, and offer our condolences to the Royal Family.

We will make further announcements on any changes to college in due course.

We're excited to be the region’s go-to training centre for Electric Vehicle (EV) and Hybrid Electric Vehicle (HEV), with a range of short courses launching in the New Year at our Gloucester Campus.

We're proud that our students learn from industry experts and develop essential skills on their GC journey. But don't just take our word for it - see what some of our students have had to say about their time at college.

Whether it’s celebrating an award win or personal milestones, we are proud of every apprentice’s success.

This year, the University of West of England (UWE) has joined forces with GC as joint academic sponsors, and we look forward to another year championing cyber security education across the county.

When you’re thinking about your future and all of your higher education options it can hard to know which is the right choice for you. We’ve broken down some of the main differences between college and university to help you make an informed decision.

Gloucestershire College (GC) has won the Highly Commended Green Gown Award in the 2030 Climate Action category, thanks to its industry-leading GC Zero project and commitment to driving decarbonisation in education.

At GC, we firmly believe that learning never stops. We are passionate about offering courses to adults across a range of different sectors that are flexible and work around them. Regardless of where you currently are in your career, we have entry level, progression pathways and management courses available.

Championing our local food and drink producers is important, as we know they make up a large proportion of our county’s employers - creating jobs and opportunities, especially for young people, within the hospitality industry.

Online learning is a type of education that takes place over the internet. For many people, studying virtually helps solves many challenges that learners may face when traditionally on campus.

Campuses will reopen as normal on Tuesday 13 December.

Due to school closures, some lecturers will be unable to travel in, and will contact those learners affected before 7am.

Diversity is key to ensuring a progressive workplace and bringing in apprentices fosters a collaborative workplace between a range of workers from different backgrounds. At NTC, this has been extremely beneficial; the apprentices have brought great energy and plenty of new ideas to the business.

WEIoT supports Bamboo’s training and development needs by ensuring that its employees and apprentices have access to industry knowledge and skills to deliver the best possible service to customers and stakeholders.

The short answer is yes, but you need to do it the right way.