1. A higher apprenticeship is helping
Hertfordshire Chamber of Commerce nurse
managerial talent.
Name: Herts Chamber of Commerce
Location: Hatfield
Framework: Business and
administration
Hertfordshire Chamber of Commerce
Business Organisation
wear the t-shirt and raise more
awareness, particularly for SMEs,
about the value apprentices can
bring.”
Sophie is working towards a
Foundation Degree in Business and
Administration as part of her
apprenticeship, while employed with
the Chamber in an administrative
role which includes being the first
point of phone contact, monitoring
new members and organising the
company’s social media.
Leadership skills
Employing an apprentice has
already proven hugely beneficial to
the Chamber, as Yolanda explains:
“Sophie has a very can-do attitude
and is a highly personable young
lady, a strong team player. So she’s
a very strong rock in the office, but
also through her apprenticeship
we’re helping to mould and shape a
future manager from the outset.”
“Apprenticeships definitely help
business growth, and our
apprentice is proving a great return
on our investment. She has
exceeded all of our expectations,
and she’s been a huge role model
for us when our business members
have met her. We’ve been able to
lead by example in encouraging
companies to take on apprentices.”
Offering a higher apprenticeship in
particular was something Yolanda
felt was vital to the business’s
needs. “We wanted to develop more
leadership, management and financial
awareness skills,” she says. For
example Sophie is looking at how
much profit is made from our events
each week, developing the financial
acumen that managers need.”
Win-win situation
The Chamber aims to take on another
apprentice in the near future, and
when Sophie finishes her
apprenticeship in September 2016,
she will continue to work for the
Chamber. Yolanda is also a member
of the NAS ambassador network,
spreading the word and supporting
businesses interested in
apprenticeships.
“Apprenticeships are on our agenda
at every opportunity,” says Yolanda. “I
think they are the right thing to do in
terms of supporting young people,
helping them to get real work
experience and earn while they learn,
and from an employer’s perspective,
they bring so many benefits to
companies that it’s a no-brainer.”
To find out more about the business
benefits of apprenticeships, please
contact the National Apprenticeship
Service on 08000 150 600 or visit the
website greatbusiness.gov.uk/taking-
on-an-apprentice/.
New opportunity
Hertfordshire Chamber of Commerce,
based in Hatfield, is a small
organisation of 12 staff which
represents the interests of its
members – over 900 local businesses
– and provides services such as
networking events and marketing. In
September 2014 the organisation
took on its first apprentice, 18-year-
old Sophie Watts, on a Higher
Apprenticeship in Business and
Administration.
“We try to encourage businesses to
support young people,” explains
Yolanda Rugg, CEO. “Taking on our
own apprentice is an opportunity to