NITP Tamworth were eagerly awaiting the BBC Event at Media City and were not disappointed! The event was very well organised; full of informative and useful presentations and a celebrity appearance to cap it all off!

Our apprentices on reflection felt that they had become even closer as a group and been given a unique opportunity to see a business packed full of technology in an everyday setting.
What’s more coming home after winning the ‘Inter-academy challenge’, they were very pleased with the day! Deservedly so!
One apprentice said ‘I never realised how much IT would be used in the BBC, it was amazing’
Another said ‘It was really well organised and I learnt a lot about other people’

One employer – Rich Bishop from The Rich Media Company’ said ‘I felt like a proud parent when I was looking out for my apprentice. I think all of the employers felt the same way. It was great to see all the apprentices enjoying themselves and for them to hear from the inspirational speakers that were there’
Cath Harvey – AM said ‘It was a long yet enjoyable day. It was great to see the apprentices mixing from across the academies, but the victory for Tamworth in the inter-academy challenge made it even sweeter. Not that I’m competitive!’
Sam Ryall RE said ‘It was a really enjoyable day. It was great to see so many apprentices and employers taking part in all of the activities and working together as a team’

On 12th March staff and apprentices from Liverpool Nitp Academy attended the Gold standard Apprenticeship event held at the BBC North Head Office in Manchester. The event was a great success and the apprentices learnt how the BBC use IT and Technology to improve efficiency and develop in the 21st century.
Annette Collins, Academy Manager said, ‘It was a fantastic event for the Apprentices which gave them the opportunity to work in teams , meet other apprentices and gain an insight into technology at the BBC’.
Paul Snellgrove, Trainer added,‘An interesting and valuable experience for all apprentices,  which gave them an opportunity to develop transferable skills that will help them now and in the future.  The event speakers gave a small insight into why technology needs to be integrated with other departments if the organisation is going to be successful’.
The Apprentices from the NITP Academy that attended the event were unanimous it was a ‘Very educational day and a good team building event‘. 

As part of National Apprenticeships Week the National Apprenticeship Service are publishing a daily update about their Apprenticeship providers and their activities this week. Included in this update on Tuesday was the AAP Accountancy Cat that has been tweeted on  @AAP_England. The National Apprenticeship Service web editors liked the promotional figure for the 3AAA site and its positive impact for ‘retweets’ and attracting interest from Apprenticeship students.

The National Apprenticeship Service has also recently updated their Hall of Fame of previous apprentices that are fine examples of what can be achieved when starting a career.  Included in this update is 3AAA Director, Peter Marples who started his career completing the AAT Apprenticeship programme.  The National Apprenticeship service Hall of Fame is a great model to all young people beginning a career to highlight just how far you can go without traditional degree routes.

To celebrate National Apprenticeship Week, nearly 70 new apprentices descended on the BBC Academy’s state-of-the-art facilities at MediaCityUK, Salford, on Tuesday for a National Skills Academy for IT event. With inspirational speakers and breakout sessions, the day developed the apprentices’ professional skills and gave them an insight into the exciting opportunities that lie ahead in their IT careers.

The apprentices work mainly for small and medium sized employers (SMEs) in Liverpool, Nottingham, Tamworth and Walsall, but as part of their training programme get to pilot the National Skills Academy for IT Gold Standard Apprenticeship. This is being designed with employers to help apprentices integrate into the workplace and gain technical and professional skills more quickly.

Through the pilot, apprentices are trialling a variety of unique activities, including events supported by leading organisations such as the BBC. These enable apprentices to hear motivational talks from senior technology experts, meet their peers and work in teams to solve problems and develop communication skills – areas that IT apprenticeships do not always cover.

Speaking at the event was BBC Technology Controller, Tiffany Hall, who gave the apprentices an insight into the complex technology behind the corporation’s broadcasting, including its live coverage of last year’s nationwide Olympic Torch Relay.

She said: “Apprenticeships are becoming an increasingly important way for technology companies of all sizes to recruit talented young people and give them the skills they need to excel in this fast paced industry. We recruit apprentices at the BBC, but through today’s event, we’re also delighted to be helping those who work for smaller employers develop new skills and celebrate their achievements during National Apprenticeship Week.”

From BBC North, Ken Lee, Human Resources Director, and Tim Sargeant, Head of Technology, also spoke, discussing the latest technology trends and the possibilities that an IT career can bring. The apprentices also had the opportunity to ask more experienced higher apprentices from Visa Europe for advice on career progression.

The variety of talks and breakout sessions was welcomed by the apprentices. One said: “It was a very good day – I gained a lot of new ideas and took every opportunity to progress myself.” Another added: “It was inspiring to see what I could achieve.”

The event took place as part of National Apprenticeship Week – an annual celebration of apprenticeships and the positive impact they have on individuals, businesses and the economy. It is taking place for the sixth time in 2013, from 11 to 15 March.

During the week employers can visit www.growyourownIT.com or call 0845 226 3724 for further information about recruiting an apprentice, including the financial incentives available, such as a £1,500 government grant for smaller businesses. Apprentices can also find out more by visiting www.itskillsacademy.ac.uk/apprenticeships.

The apprentices were recruited through a partnership between the National Skills Academy for IT, BT and training provider, NITP, which has received co-investment from the UK Commission for Employment and Skills via the Growth and Innovation Fund.

Notes to Editors
For media enquiries, please contact Luke Nava at luke.nava@e-skills.com or on 07881 313 975.

About the National Skills Academy for IT

The National Skills Academy for IT is an independent and not-for-profit organisation, guided by major IT employers. It exists for the good of the whole IT sector to promote excellence in IT professional learning and development.
The IT Skills Academy is led by e-skills UK, the Sector Skills Council for Business and Information Technology.

www.itskillsacademy.ac.uk

About the BBC Academy
The BBC Academy is the BBC’s centre for training. It houses the Colleges of Journalism, Production, Leadership and the Centre of Technology. As well as training BBC staff, it also has a remit under the terms of the BBC’s Charter Agreement to train the wider industry.  
The BBC Academy aims to share as much of its training as possible with the wider UK broadcasting industry for free. It also offers some of its courses on a commercial basis, both within the UK and abroad. 
www.bbc.co.uk/academy

New apprenticeships to be created in Milton Keynes

A partnership that has created over 200 it apprentice jobs across England in the last six months is launching in Milton Keynes to make it easier for smaller employers to recruit apprentices and give young people the opportunity to work and to learn.

The national Skills Academy for IT, leading apprenticeship employer, BT and training provider, NiTP, are working together and plan to create at least 25 new apprentice jobs in Milton Keynes by the beginning of April.

The apprentices will benefit from training, which is quality assured by BT, relevant to employers needs and delivered by NITP at its Milton Keynes academy on Silbury Boulevard.

Peter Marples, Director, NITP, says, “Apprenticeships give organisations the opportunity to grow their own IT talent simply and cost effectively, while for young people, they offer a great first step on the career ladder and the chance to work hard, gain valuable qualifications and earn a wage. As such, we’re proud to be creating more of them in Milton Keynes”.

The new recruits will get to pilot the IT gold standard apprenticeship – a new programme, which is being designed to help apprentices integrate into the workplace and gain technical and professional skills more quickly.

During National Apprenticeship Week, employers can visit www.growyourownIT.com or call 0845 226 3724 for further information about recruiting an apprentice through the partnership. This includes the financial incentives available, such as a £1,500 government grant for smaller businesses.

Source – Milton Keynes Citizen