Internships and Apprenticeships
Grads Kent is an online graduate recruitment and support service designed to increase graduate employment opportunities in Kent. They engage with local businesses to encourage them to employ more gradutes to their business areas, or to increase the number of internships available across the county.
Would your company benefit from a gradutae or an internship in the team to help build on your current successes? If so, please visit www.gradskent.com or call 01622 696242 to dicusss ways to advertise your vacancies and internships.
How would you like to be given the chance to train potential employees so that thier skills match the needsof your business?
Recruting an apprentice allows you to do just that! Apprenticeships ive you the opportunity to address any skills gaps which will in turn make your business more effective, competet and productive. Recent research shows that 77% of employers believe employing an apprentice makes them more competitive. By offering an apprenticeship, you are avoiding skills shortages, reducing staff turnover and providing young people with the opportunity to train, lerand and earn on the job.
There are a wide range of apprenticeships available so the right apprentice can be easily found for your organisation. For more information, please contact Kent Apprentieships on 0800 098 0025 to speak to an advisor.
Case Studies
Aster Hall - Marketing Assistant, Visit Kent
19 year old Aster Hall already knows that she wants to work in marketing in the future. She is confident in her decision after gaining considerable exposure and valuable experience during her internship at Visit Kent. After gaining 14 GCSE's from A-C, and completing a college course in Travel & Tourism, Aster's tutor informed her of the internship at Visit Kent. "Since studying marketing and undertaking work experience at SAGA Holidays, I thought that this would be the perfect opportunity to find out more about marketing to see if it really was for me!"
"Since becoming an intern, the experiences have been endless!" Alongside running exhibition stands in Holland, helping plan and organise tourism careers fairs', and organising press trips, Aster has also written copy for the Visit Kent quarterly magazine, created webpages and is helping to promote Kent as a world-class tourist destination.
" My internship at Visit Kent has opened my eyes to new horizons and helped me gain a new job as a Travel Consultant for a local award-winning tourism company, Hoilday Extras." Aster feels that without her time at Visit Kent, this would not have been possible. "The internship has taught me to do things that I never thought I would be able to do. Working for Visit Kent, I have gained priceless experience, invaluable advice and most of all, developed in areas that I never thought I could have, free of charge!"
Aster is keen to encourage other young people to look into internships; "Before I started the internship, my friends couldn't understand why I was doing something that I didn't get paid for. Nowadays, employers are looking for a person with experience and this is exactly what the internship has given me - don't listen to your friends and go for it!"
Emily Williams - Hospitality Apprentice, Oakwood House
18 year-old Emily Williams left Invicta Grammer School with 14 GCSE's between A-C and Maidstone Grammer with 2 A Levels.After successfully winning university places at both Brighton and Kent universities, Emily struggled with the decision between working and university; "I was more than aware of the increasingly difficult decision that young people have to make between continuing their education and starting their career." To help, Emily contacted several London companies for their advice for someone in her position, with all advising work experience over a degree.
With this in mind, Emily contacted various venues around Kent for any trainee-programmes that were recruiting, and successfully took up a sales apprenticeship with Oakwood House, a first-class hotel and venue in Maidstone.
Emily has made the most of working within a large organisation whilst gaining invaluable skills so early in her career. She is currently completing an NVQ Level 2 in Business and Administration, as well as developing as a professional individual; "Being in a work environment has taught me what others want and how to deal with other people, and with the way the current economy and businesses are, it is knowledge that is incredibly valuable."
When thinking about her future, Emily wishes to continue with her training and further her career in the sales and event industry. "As an apprentice, I am given the support that I need and the relevent training for my chosen career path. I have worked hard and will continue to do so in order to acheive the best that I can."
If she could give one piece of advice to new apprentices', Emily would encourage them to take every opportunity presented to them. "Apprentices' have the correct amount of responsibility, support and knowledge necessary to persue any career in any industry!"