Apprenticeship Week 2012: Chelsea Richards
03.02.12
Pic Caption: Chelsea fan club! Chelsea Richards with her Employee of the Month certificate, ITEC’s Chris Rees and Rachel Ellaway and Sunnybank manager Laura Skiffington (left).
Work is child’s play for Chelsea!
ITEC learners on work placements with a South Wales nursery don’t have to look far for an example of how commitment and support can help them get started on a career.
Because the manager of Sunnybank in Trethomas, Laura Skiffington, began as an ITEC learner eight years ago – and her message to young people is “grab your chance!”
ITEC has a long-standing relationship with Sunnybank Nurseries, which were launched by Jane and Graham Bateman. The nursery company has popular premises in Newport and Chepstow as well as Trethomas and provides valuable work experience for dozens of ITEC learners interested in child care.
Four ITEC learners currently work at Sunnybank Trethomas and one of them – Chelsea Richards - is doing so well that the company took the unusual step of awarding her their ‘employee of the month’ certificate!
Manager Laura was taken on full-time by Sunnybank in Newport just two weeks after starting with them as an ITEC trainee. She realised qualifications would be one of the keys to advancement. She gained her NVQ Levels 2 & 3 in childcare within two years and has recently achieved her Level 4, which includes management.
Said Laura “I was very grateful at the time to be given the opportunity to see if I was suited to a career in this field and the rest has followed. It does show new learners that they can do it if they really want to. They should grab the chance.”
She added “Chelsea has done very well; she fitted into the team straight away and uses her initiative, which is great to see. There is no doubt she is cut out for a career in child care.”
Chelsea left school in Bedwas with enough GCSEs at varying grades to make college an option. When she told Careers Wales that she much preferred to be “doing” rather than attending lectures, they put her in touch with ITEC.
She said “I didn’t want to stay in a classroom all day. Here, I have more fun than the kids on a lot of days! My mum is very proud of me and I would say to people ‘have a go – don’t just sit there and watch.”
ITEC Stakeholder Engagement team leader Chris Rees said “It is great to see trainees making the best of their opportunities. Sunnybank is one of our key childcare placement providers and we are grateful to them for their help.”
