NEC Group appoints Apprenticeship Coordinator

In the newly created position, Angela Walsh will be responsible for expanding the Group’s apprenticeship programme and delivering company-wide opportunities for youngsters in the local area.

She joins the Group following six years at Solihull College and University Centre, where her role included assessing, tutoring and running employee engagement programmes for students. Her time spent working at the college also involved the supervision of hospitality and catering students undertaking apprenticeships with Amadeus - the NEC Group’s catering arm. This knowledge of the Group stood her in good stead to take on the role. Angela says:

“Working with students and helping them to build the skills required for their future careers has always been a key motivator for me. This new role allows me to build on my knowledge of how to work with and get the best from company apprenticeship schemes, and mould ours into a well-rounded programme not only for training in catering but a variety of specialities.

“Already supporting over 29,000 jobs in the region, the NEC Group plays a vital role in the local economy, and this is our chance to support job creation even further. Developing and investing in young talent in the region is also crucial to us retaining it for the years to come.”

The NEC Group currently offers two primary apprenticeship routes, the first through the Group’s award-winning catering business Amadeus. A large number of apprentices have already been recruited both front of house and as chefs, and have been immersed in the business from day one. Through partnering with local colleges, the Amadeus apprenticeship scheme incorporates a mix of students’ college work, plus on the ground training across the Amadeus venue network.

The second is the Live Events Rigging Apprenticeship, developed in conjunction with the NEC Group Arenas Rigging Department, Learning and Development team and the National Rigging Advisory Group (NRAG), to provide young people who choose a career in rigging with a structured and measured pathway. The apprenticeship forms part of the governments’ Trailblazer scheme to encourage three million new apprentices by 2020, and provides formal training to new recruits, supporting them beyond the National Rigging Certificate Level 2- plugging the gap in trainee numbers to fill increasing demand throughout the rigging industry.

For more details on opportunities at the NEC Group, please visit the NEC Group's apprenticeships page.