South West College (SWC) recently hosted its highly-anticipated annual Apprentice Connect event, welcoming over 370 potential students and 65 local companies across its Omagh, Dungannon, and Enniskillen Technology and Skills Centre campuses, from May 16 to 18.
With concerns surrounding the soaring costs of university education, the Apprentice Connect event gave school leavers a chance to explore their options further through the various apprenticeship routes and connect with SWC staff and local employers.
Attendees had the opportunity to meet with a variety of employers and learn more about the apprenticeship opportunities from Levels 2 to 6 (Degree Level) for September 2023 entry. The employers present at the event discussed the job opportunities available in their industries and the long-term career pathways. The informative event also highlighted SWC’s wide range of apprenticeship options suitable for both A-level and GCSE school leavers.
College lecturing and career staff were also present to discuss study options and to showcase their industry-aligned training spaces. SWC offers traditional and new apprenticeships at Level 2 and 3, including Auto Electrics, Barbering, Beauty Therapy, Dental Nursing and Plumbing, to name a few. For A-level school leavers, or BTEC students the college offers a range of foundation degree and degree Higher Level Apprenticeships (HLAs) in various fields such as Accounting, Business Management, Computing, Construction, Engineering, and Hospitality & Tourism Management, among others.
Chris Robinson, Centre for Excellence - Work-Based Manager at South West College, said:
“The Apprentice Connect event is a great opportunity to welcome young people, their parents, and siblings to the College, enabling them to see for themselves what apprenticeships are available. It is designed to give school leavers and those looking to further their career prospects a valuable opportunity to experience at first hand the variety of exciting job options available to them and the high-quality skills training that is on offer to help them realise their ambitions right here on their doorstep. Heartfelt appreciation goes out to all the employers who participated and everyone in attendance.”
Noreen McGirr, the Higher Level Apprenticeship Programme Manager said:
“With the growing costs of university tuition fees, it is vital that ambitious young people wishing to obtain higher level qualifications are aware of the range of options available to help them make better, informed choices and I would encourage the community to come along to see what is on offer. I extend my gratitude to all those involved and in attendance for contributing to the outstanding success of this event.”
To learn more about apprenticeships and to find your future apprenticeship or higher-level apprenticeship, please visit www.swc.ac.uk/courses/apprenticeships
and https://swc.ac.uk/courses/hla