Ambitious apprentices spread ‘get in, go far’ message

23 Mar Ambitious apprentices spread ‘get in, go far’ message

Back, from left, Sam Batkin, Oliver Maiden, Josh Whitehead. Front, William Phillips, Simon Robson, Charlotte Beck, James Price.

Apprentices at a Worcestershire accountancy firm have been promoting the benefits of ‘learning while you’re earning’.

To mark National Apprenticeship Week, young employees at Droitwich Spa and Bromsgrove based Ormerod Rutter Chartered Accountants gave talks and posted blogs and photos as part of a social media campaign, using the hashtags #GetInGoFar and #NAW2015.

Sam Batkin, from the firm’s first cohort in 2012, and Charlotte Beck, who joined last year, chatted to Alcester Grammar School students about the advantages of apprenticeships and advised teenagers to weigh up all their options rather than automatically follow the university route.

“There is so much choice out there but researching all the schemes available is vital,” said Charlotte. “All of our training is paid for, we receive more than the minimum wage and will progress to permanent work if we pass our probation.”

Charlotte’s colleague James Price added: “Apprenticeships allow you to mix with different types of people and go straight into working life while carrying on with education.”

Ormerod Rutter is currently recruiting for its fourth cohort of apprentices to start this autumn. Places are available in the practice’s accounts and audit teams, tax, IT and payroll departments and customer services administration.

Applicants, who must be aged 17 and over, must have achieved five GCSE passes at grade C or above including English and maths. For more details, visit www.ormerodrutter.co.uk