Introducing apprenticeships made easy: How we supported West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service

West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service (WYFRS) has worked with Calderdale College to recruit apprentices across a number of departments over the last three years.

Having seen first-hand the benefits that apprentices have on the business, Gayle Seekins, ICT Services Delivery Manager, noticed that the IT department would benefit from hiring an apprentice in a more administrative role, such as Project Management, as she felt an apprentice would bring fresh ideas and perspectives to the department.

This was a brand-new apprenticeship that WYFRS wanted to offer, so the business turned to trusted partner, Calderdale College. The college has always provided WYFRS with skilled apprenticeship candidates and works with employers to make the recruitment process as seamless as possible.

Support from Calderdale College

Through initiatives such as its Collaborative Apprenticeships project, Calderdale College supports large organisations and SMEs throughout Calderdale and the surrounding areas to increase the quantity and improve the quality of the apprenticeships that they offer.

The college set up a meeting with WYFRS to firstly understand what kind of role they were recruiting for and identify any apprenticeship standards that might be a good match before creating a role description and presenting it to potential candidates.

The college’s rigorous recruitment process involves screening candidates, scheduling interviews and capturing employer feedback, meaning that WYFRS was fully supported throughout and felt confident that the candidates presented would be a good fit for the role.

With support from Calderdale College, Kirsty James, ICT Project Manager hired Lewis Bell as WYFRS’ first project management apprentice over two years ago, and Morgan Taylor joined a few months afterwards. After Lewis and Morgan came on board, the college’s employer engagement team continued to work with Kirsty to provide ongoing support.

Kirsty said: “Not only did Calderdale College do so much work behind the scenes to make the process of recruiting for our new apprentice roles so easy, but their support throughout the duration of their apprenticeships has been exceptional. 

“For example, they recommended we gave Lewis and Morgan their own projects to work on from the start, meaning they could develop the skills that they needed to pass the academic side of their course. Introducing project management apprentices into the business has been a learning experience for everyone, not just for Lewis and Morgan, and it’s an experience that we’re very grateful for.”

What’s next for WYFRS?

Since completing the in-work aspect of his apprenticeship, Lewis has been promoted to ICT support analyst at WYFRS. He hopes to receive a high grade in his Level 4 Associate Project Management qualification, enabling him to move back into a project management role in the near future.

Commenting on her experience of introducing apprenticeships, Kirsty said: “Lewis and Morgan have both made a lasting impact on our department. I think there’s a misconception that apprentices are just there to do menial tasks but we’ve seen so much value from giving our apprentices the space to manage their own projects and learn in the way that works best for them.

“The biggest piece of advice I’d give to other businesses looking to introduce apprenticeships would be to make sure you have people in place who have the skills and the time to provide the right support, and that you hire more than one apprentice at a time, as peer support is just as important as mentor support.”

Based on the positive feedback that Lewis and Morgan have received from the wider organisation, Kirsty has just hired for two more Project Management apprentices through Calderdale College. She said: “We introduced this apprenticeship as a bit of a trial, but seeing the transferrable skills and the confidence it has given to Lewis and Morgan has prompted us into having more apprentices within our department.

“For any employer looking to explore their apprenticeship options – whether that’s introducing apprenticeships for the first time or expanding the number of apprenticeships on offer – I’d definitely recommend reaching out to Calderdale College to explore the support that they can offer you.”

Collaborative Apprenticeships is managed by the West Yorkshire Consortium of Colleges (WYCC) and funded by the European Social Fund (ESF). Calderdale College is supporting the delivery of the project in partnership with local employers and training providers.

For more information on the apprenticeship support available through Calderdale College’s Collaborative Apprenticeships project, email [email protected]

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