Apprenticeship success in St Helens under the new standards

St Helens Chamber Business School has recently implemented the new apprenticeship standards, replacing the previous apprenticeship frameworks, and two hard-working Pilkington staff have already seen great success with the new qualification.

Jac Appleton and Daniel Francis completed the new team leader/supervisor apprenticeship, giving them a Level 3 management diploma, and have excelled in their results; achieving a distinction and merit, respectively.

Jac Appleton, online coating production supervisor at Pilkington, said: “The training was great. The help I got from Lee Johnson and the rest of the tutors at the Chamber was really helpful – no question was too small or large and they were always willing to help guide me through my work.

“I would recommend an apprenticeship with St Helens Chamber to anyone who is looking to build on their skills, I’ve already recommended the training to a couple of people in the team who have seen how well the training has worked for me.”

Jac secured a promotion half way through completing his training, and has since inspired other colleagues at Pilkington to follow in his footsteps.

Matt Buckley, managing director at Pilkington, said: “At Pilkington, we are keen to invest in our staff development, so we chose to work with St Helens Chamber Business School to upskill our workforce.

“We are absolutely delighted with Jac and Danny’s results. Their training was delivered to a very high standard, and they gained a range of practical skills and knowledge specific to their job roles, which helps the development of the business”

St Helens Chamber Business School provided a tailored training plan for Pilkington staff, working closely with the management team to ensure it suited their business needs.

Matt added: “As we’re such a specialised business, we needed a training provider who could work with us to accommodate our needs – and St Helens Chamber did this for us. I couldn’t be happier with the results.”

The new apprenticeship standards are occupation-focussed, rather than qualification-led. This means that they are employer-led and businesses can specify exactly what is needed from a trainee in their job role; and trainees benefit from gaining the skills, knowledge and behaviours needed for their specific role.

John Westhead, director of training services at St Helens Chamber, said: “It has taken a lot of hard work over the last couple of years to make the transition to the new apprenticeship standards, while ensuring we maintain the same high-quality delivery businesses and students expect from the Chamber, and I’m proud of how our training team have risen to this challenge.

“We are so pleased for Jac and Daniel, the first two management students to get their results under the new standards. It is clear that their hard work has paid off. We look forward to continuing to work closely with Pilkington to continue training and developing their workforce.”