To celebrate National Apprenticeship Week, West Thames College is proud to shine a spotlight on the achievements of former apprentices. We are proud of our students and all their accomplishments in their studies, and in their new ventures.
We spoke to some of our former apprentices, who have completed their apprenticeships and successfully secured full-time positions within the college.
Obed Jugoo – Print Room Assistant
Obed was 17 when he first came to the UK. He came with no GCSEs or A-Levels, and started working as a cleaner to financially support him and his family. He then started working in McDonalds whilst doing an ESOL course, wanting to progress and eventually gain a GCSE in English.
Obed wanted to progress further within his career, and research into apprenticeships. During his search, he found the Level 3 Customer Service Apprenticeship at West Thames College in the Print Room Department.
After doing some research and thinking it would be a good place to work, he decided to apply for the post at West Thames College, which he was successful.
“For me, I am a hands-on person, so it was good for me to gain print room experience as well as gaining a qualification at the same time. The apprenticeship was an excellent choice for me as I was not able to give up work to study, so this apprenticeship allowed me to do both.
“After my apprenticeship, the college offered me a full-time position, which I accepted, and since then, I have been working and learning how to use all the Print Room equipment and machinery.”
Outside his work, Obed has recently embarked on a journey to become a teacher with West Thames College offering him the chance to enrol onto a free teaching qualification.
Obed has recently completed a qualification in PGCE and CELTA and he is now teaching ESOL to students in the evenings. In the future, he would like to become a full-time teacher.
Angela Welbeck – Catering Manager
Angela has worked in hospitality and catering since 1999, working her way up form a catering assistant to a supervisor. At the time, Angela was working as Front of House Advisor at West Thames College.
The college approached Angela with the Advanced Level Apprenticeship in Hospitality Supervision & Leadership, which she decided to pursue.
“My apprenticeship was a real eye-opener. I have been in catering since 1999 and I have never learned as much as I have since doing my apprenticeship with West Thames College.”
After her apprenticeship, Angela has progressed into management and is working at the College as a Catering Manager.
Mollie Mackrill – Marketing Assistant
Mollie started studying at West Thames College in 2016, where she completed an Extended Diploma in Travel and Tourism. Since leaving in 2018, she has worked as a Customer Service Assistant at Marks and Spencer.
After countless applications elsewhere, she finally looked into the idea of doing an apprenticeship. While during her research, she found a Level 3 Business Administration Apprenticeship within the Marketing Department at West Thames College.
Mollie’s apprenticeship lasted 2 years and, in that time, she learned different areas within the college’s marketing department such as: School Liaison, Outreach and Content Creation. She has also been awarded the ‘Rising Star’ award at the college’s annual staff awards, which is an excellent achievement.
“My advice for anyone thinking about doing an apprenticeship is – just do it! Apprenticeships will open so many doors for you, and it will allow you to move up into bigger and better roles for the future! So 100%, just do it!”
After finishing her apprenticeship, she was offered a full-time Marketing Assistant position and is still working at the College. Mollie has a keen interest in the Outreach and School Liaison side of Marketing, and she has been attending numerous external events to promote the college.
We are so proud of our former and current apprentices here at West Thames College, and we’ll remain committed to offer high-quality apprenticeship programmes that will prepare our students for fulfilling careers for the future.
Find out more about our apprenticeship opportunities here
