Anchor apprenticeship scheme marks its first anniversary
An Otley care home was the focus this week of a national celebration to mark the first anniversary of a successful apprenticeship scheme.
Ryan Bull, 21, who works at Teal Beck House in Crow Lane, was the first apprentice to be offered a full-time job as part of Anchor’s Apprenticeship.
Nine other apprentices who joined the scheme in June last year have also permanent roles with Anchor, which is England’s largest not-for-profit provider of care and housing for older people. Three other apprentices are part way through their training.
The scheme has been so successful that Anchor expanded the scheme with 28 apprentices enlisting in March this year, and they are now recruiting 16 to 24 year olds for this year’s programme, with 50 places up for grabs.
Ryan said: “Working in care is something I’ve wanted to do for a long time; I looked after my grandad and enjoyed it. I’ve learnt a lot over the past year and I feel already I have made a positive contribution to the lives of older people.”
Katie Rankin, Anchor’s Qualifications and Apprenticeships Manager, praised Ryan for his commitment to improving the lives of older people.
Apprentice Ryan Bull, from Teal Beck House in Otley,
celebrates the first anniversary of
Anchor’s Apprenticeship Scheme with resident Dot Ward.
She said: “The team at Teal Beck and all of the residents can’t praise Ryan enough and are really proud of him. I know he will go far with Anchor; he’s already looking to start his Level 3 qualification and become a Team Leader.
“The quality of apprentices coming through this programme has been outstanding. The young talent coming into the business through this programme has helped to invigorate our business and the lives of our residents. We are so proud to see how they are progressing and look forward to welcoming our new apprentices.”
The apprenticeship scheme is one of the initiatives Anchor has adopted to help professionalise the care sector and to address the predicted 718,000 shortfall of carers by 2025.
The celebration also marked Anchor being placed 49th in the AllAboutSchoolLeaversTop 100 Employers of School & College Leavers list which is based solely on the views of apprentices currently completing their training programmes.
Kate added: “We beat big players with long established apprenticeship programmes, such as Jaguar Land Rover, BT and Boots. We have done phenomenally well to get in the top 50 before even completing our first year.”
To find out more visit our website at http://www.anchor.org.uk