On Celebration Friday, Business Development Manager, Teri Greaves, talks us through how we have gone from strength to strength with our End Point Assessment offer and shares how the business invests in apprenticeships.
'The last year has been exciting at Open Awards, as an End-point Assessment Organisation who are currently approved for many apprenticeship standards with more to come! As the Business Development Manager, I have had the opportunity to be involved in discussions with employers and training providers in a range of different sectors who are supporting individuals through their apprenticeship journey. This has really allowed me to reflect on how important apprenticeships are to our current climate.
I often hear conversations about skills shortages in various sectors among employers and apprenticeships are a great way to fill this gap. Being able to gain sector specialist knowledge and on the job experience whilst learning is super essential to ensuring businesses are getting the right individuals for the roles required. Apprenticeships allow individuals to gain work experience and learn more about the industry all whilst being paid. Apprenticeships can also be used for those already in their role but would like to further expand their knowledge and understanding to move up the ranks. This allows opportunity to reduce the skills gaps and help employers to get the right individuals for their roles. Apprenticeships also offer an alternative route into education and work for those who are not able to go to college or university due to various reasons and may not have the relevant experience or skills to apply for a job straight out of school.'
Open Awards not only support learners entering gateway, but we also invest in apprentices too. We currently have staff who are undertaking a Data Technician Apprenticeship and a Level 7 Scale-up Leadership apprenticeship. It is great to see Open Awards supporting and developing staff and getting to be a part of their learning journey too.