While many businesses are closed during the Coronavirus pandemic, apprentices across Wales are forging ahead with their qualifications with online support from their learning provider.
Directors and staff at award winning, pan-Wales learning provider Cambrian Training are all working remotely from home during the pandemic but are staying connected to their learners via the City & Guilds’ Learning Assistant e-portfolio system. Training officers use the Google Hangouts communications software to speak face to face with learners even though they are often hundreds of miles apart. This enables them to provide support and review evidence for learners’ apprenticeship portfolios. Arwyn Watkins, OBE, Cambrian Training’s managing director, believes the pandemic has the potential to be transformational for the business, which has offices in Welshpool, Llanelli, Builth Wells, Holyhead and Colwyn Bay. “The pandemic is making the company re-evaluate the way we do business, engage with learners and colleagues and how we utilise our IT resources to reduce our environmental impact,” he said. “Going forward, there is no point in asking people to travel from all over Wales to every team meeting when it can be held remotely. We are going to learn a lot from the Coronavirus crisis about ourselves and the hidden talents we have within the business.” With many apprentices across Wales also having to stay at home during the pandemic, they are using the time to press ahead with their apprenticeship portfolio. Higher apprentice Steffan Walker, 26, is assistant manager at the Harbourmaster Hotel, Aberaeron, which was named Small Employer of the Year at the Apprenticeship Awards Cymru last year. He has almost completed a Higher Apprenticeship (Level 4) in Hospitality, having progressed from an Apprenticeship and a Level 2 Wines and Spirits qualification. “I am taking this time when the hotel is closed to complete my Higher Apprenticeship and am now on my last assignment,” he said. “Being able to complete my e-portfolio and to see and talk to my training officer, Hazel Thomas, online is great “I have been able to show her evidence and other pieces of work I had done for assignments. It’s a great learning tool and, hopefully, it is helping other apprentices as well. “I want to keep on improving myself and the business because both benefit from apprenticeships. They have definitely helped me in my role, especially learning about different management styles and employment law.” Steffan has worked at the hotel for 11 years, climbing through the ranks from pot washer to his current position. The hotel supported him while he competed for Great Britain in canoe slalom competitions around the world. He became number one in Wales and won a silver medal at the 2014 World Junior and U23 Canoe Slalom Championships in Australia. Now his focus is on his career in the hospitality industry. “It was a bit of an identity change when I finished the sport,” he said. “I set myself high standards as a canoeist and I have taken them into my work.” Hazel, who has 44 learners working towards a range of hospitality and professional cookery apprenticeships, said: “When the pandemic ends, I think we are going to be re-evaluating the importance of IT skills for communicating with learners and keeping in touch as a team. “In the hospitality sector, the written element of the work is always the last thing to be completed by learners. This crisis has provided them with an opportunity to get on with this work and get it signed off by us. The learners absolutely love remote learning.” Cambrian Training’s staff have further developed the e-portfolio system by creating videos to show apprentices how to use it and embedding a list of questions that they must answer. “What we have developed by using our IT skills in the last two weeks has been phenomenal,” added Hazel. “I can’t tell you how much we have grown as a team.” Apprenticeships in Wales are funded by the Welsh Government with support from the European Social Fund. Picture caption: Steffan Walker with Dai Morgan, general manager of the Harbourmaster Hotel, Chris Bason, Cambrian Training’s head of hospitality and Hazel Thomas, hospitality training officer.
0 Comments
Your comment will be posted after it is approved.
Leave a Reply. |
Archives
October 2024
September 2024
August 2024
July 2024
June 2024
May 2024
April 2024
March 2024
February 2024
January 2024
December 2023
November 2023
October 2023
September 2023
August 2023
July 2023
June 2023
May 2023
April 2023
March 2023
February 2023
January 2023
December 2022
November 2022
October 2022
September 2022
August 2022
July 2022
June 2022
May 2022
April 2022
March 2022
February 2022
January 2022
December 2021
November 2021
October 2021
September 2021
August 2021
July 2021
June 2021
May 2021
April 2021
March 2021
February 2021
January 2021
December 2020
November 2020
October 2020
September 2020
August 2020
July 2020
June 2020
April 2020
March 2020
November 2019
September 2019
August 2019
July 2019
May 2019
April 2019
March 2019
February 2019
October 2018
September 2018
August 2018
July 2018
June 2018
May 2018
April 2018
March 2018
January 2018
December 2017
July 2017
June 2017
May 2017
April 2017
Categories |