As Daily Focus continues to lead up to National Apprenticeship Week, Jane Tunnicliff, Director of Apprenticeships at Newcastle and Stafford Colleges Group (NSCG), writes about their approach to employing apprentices.
“At NSCG, we are proud to demonstrate our long-standing commitment to skills development by investing in our own apprentices. We firmly believe in the value apprentices bring, not only to our organisation, but to the wider Staffordshire economy.
As one of the region’s largest training providers, we work closely with employers across a wide range of sectors to deliver high-quality apprenticeship programmes. By employing apprentices within our own workforce, we are able to lead by example, showing how apprenticeships can be successfully embedded into an organisation while developing future talent from within.
We currently employ apprentices across a variety of roles, including business administration, IT, finance, marketing and HR. These individuals gain practical, hands-on experience in a real working environment while studying towards nationally recognised qualifications. In return, we benefit from enthusiastic, motivated colleagues who bring fresh perspectives, strong digital skills and new ideas into our teams.
Our approach reflects our belief that apprenticeships are not simply a route into employment, but a powerful tool for workforce development and succession planning. Many of our apprentices progress into permanent roles with us, building long-term careers and providing continuity, stability and future leadership across the organisation.
By recruiting our own apprentices, we are also able to tailor training to meet our specific organisational needs. This ensures apprentices develop the right technical skills, professional behaviours and confidence required to succeed in the workplace. They are supported by experienced mentors and benefit from our strong culture of learning and development, helping them to achieve their full potential.
Our commitment sends a clear message to employers across Staffordshire: apprenticeships are a smart investment. They offer a cost-effective way to develop talent, address skills shortages and future-proof organisations in an increasingly competitive labour market.
As Staffordshire continues to focus on economic growth and productivity, we remain proud to champion apprenticeships not only as a training provider, but as an employer. By hiring our own apprentices, we are helping to build a skilled, resilient workforce that will support local businesses and communities for years to come.”
To speak to a member of the NSCG team and find out how hiring an apprentice can benefit your business complete the online contact form here.
