Abby proving the value of having an apprentice during #NAW2023
Marking the 16th annual National Apprenticeship Week, we’re highlighting the outstanding contributions of our business administration assistant, Abby Barlow-Lloyd.
National Apprenticeship Week (NAW) 2023, which runs from 6th to 12th February, aims to shine a light on the amazing work being done by apprentices, employers, and their training providers across the country. The theme for #NAW2023 is ‘Skills for Life’.
The annual week-long celebration of apprenticeships, taking place across England, reflects on how apprenticeships can help individuals to develop the skills and knowledge required for a rewarding career, and businesses to develop a talented workforce that is equipped with future-ready skills.
Alongside her closest Operations team colleague Dan Wood, Abby has contributed to everything from administration tasks to the new facilitator kit audit and the new internal intranet, which the company launched last week. She says she has never looked back since discovering what EPIC was all about, explaining:
“EPIC offered me the opportunity to complete a level 3 qualification in business administration, whilst working as an apprentice. The role appealed to me because of the diversity of opportunities.
“I have settled in really well and my favourite part of this job is getting to work with all different departments. Moving forward, this apprenticeship will give me a qualification and the education to help with my future.”
Within the apprenticeship programme at Wigan & Leigh College, Teresa Houghton is Abby’s trainer and assessor. Teresa has been encouraged by the development of Abby at EPIC, as she reflected:
“Abby decided to undertake an apprenticeship after completing a course in Further Education. The apprenticeship has allowed her to develop skills in the workplace to support the knowledge that she is learning on her qualification.
“As her assessor, I can see that Abby is already growing in confidence and is developing the ability to ask questions for her to understand her industry better. She is also using her skills learned both on and off the job to add value to the company.”
Abby’s line manager and EPIC head of business support, Louise Flynn, has seen the most recent addition to her team thrive in an office environment, explaining:
“It can be very daunting for a young member of staff to come into an office environment full of senior figures for the first time, but Abby has shown tremendous confidence, considering she’s the youngest member of the EPIC family.
“We have entrusted her with some fairly high-profile jobs to run alongside the day-to-day administration tasks that every office needs to do in order to function efficiently, and she has handled every challenge really well.
“We’ve been impressed by her attitude, intelligence and willingness to help on a wide range of tasks, not least some excellent behind the scenes work on our new intranet and the Gambling Harm Prevention in Sport Summit at Wembley.
“She can be very proud of the start she has made, and while the country is celebrating National Apprenticeship Week, Abby is a shining example of why companies should consider employing an apprentice within their team.”
More details about the premise behind National Apprenticeship Week can be found by visiting the official website here.
