The work of our Employee Apprenticeships Manager, Loretta Izod, was recognised at the recent East Kent Apprenticeship Awards.

Loretta was a finalist in the award for the East Kent Apprenticeship Champion of the Year award. The inaugural awards took place during National Apprenticeship Week (4-8 March 2019) and celebrated the success of apprenticeships for both individuals and businesses.

Apprenticeships have been subject to a number of changes in recent years, including the way they are funded. Large employers like Kent now pay a monthly Apprenticeship Levy, meaning we can offer apprenticeships for  career development to existing staff, as well as new employees.

Loretta was nominated for the award by her colleagues in the HR Learning & Organisational Development team. Over the past year, she has been working with schools and departments to promote use of the levy and taking an apprenticeship to colleagues in any occupation, regardless of age, work experience or job level.

Across the University, there are now up to 50 staff who are being supported by the levy to develop their skills and knowledge in roles from Laboratory Scientist to Digital Marketer and Chartered Manager. A further 70 staff have expressed an interest in studying for an apprenticeship.

Loretta said: ‘I am really happy to be a finalist in these awards. My job is to ensure that employees understand the benefits of apprenticeships and that Kent is able to use its levy effectively – this type of recognition of my work makes all the hard work and effort worth it. This award is a really nice recommendation, but there’s still lots of work to do.’

To find out more about apprenticeship opportunities at Kent, contact Loretta Izod by phone (ext 16568), email: L.J.Izod@kent.ac.uk, or visit the Kent Apprenticeships webpage.

Don’t forget we also offer Higher and Degree Apprenticeships – you can find out on the  CHDA webpages.