Keeping Up With Kerry - Apprenticeship Week
"Back in the early 90’s, I found myself job hopping working in bars to make ends meet and not really having a career plan. Whilst I loved the hustle and bustle of bar work and waiting on, I hated the long shifts and evening and weekend working, whilst all my friends were out enjoying themselves.
After getting the sack from a job I loved at the time, I decided to enrol at a local college to re-do my maths and learn some basic IT skills. The less said about my maths results the better, it’s still not my strong point, unless of course you are talking discounts on bags and shoes then I can work it out in a flash! Upon completing my IT course I was offered an Apprenticeship with the Training Provider in a Business Development role. I absolutely loved this job and in no time at all I completed my L2 and L3 Apprenticeship and was promoted to head up the Business Development team for the company.
Whilst driving back from seeing a client in Dover one afternoon on the M25 and daydreaming in the traffic, I made a decision to set up my own training company, a franchise of a well-known training brand. I had no idea how I was funding this or even if the Franchisor would be open to working with me, but one thing I did know is that the skills I gained on my Apprenticeship had made me determined to help others learn new skills and create better opportunities. After lots of persuasion and a bank loan, DBC was founded in 2000 and celebrated 20 years in business in 2020. Over the last 20 years we have supported over 30,000 individuals to gain new skills and advance their careers.
Apprenticeships have played an important role in my professional career and personal life. As a former apprentice I know their value and I strive to ensure they are recognised as valuable career/personal development routeways for people to achieve their aspirations. As its national apprentice week what better time to shine a light on some of the Apprentices that work at DBC and how they contribute to our success.
Peter Roberts – Digital marketing Apprentice. Peter joined DBC after graduating from University. Pete now runs all of our social media accounts, heads up or marketing campaigns and designs all our marketing collateral. Pete is due to graduate from his Apprenticeship in March 2021. We cannot wait for him to showcase his portfolio! Not only is Pete an asset to the team, he is great for morale and regularly host lockdown quizzes. We cannot wait to see where his skills take him next.
Jadey Elliott – Business Administration Apprentice. Jadey started her Apprenticeship with DBC in December 2020 after finishing school in June 2020. We wanted to showcase Jadey as she only spent 3 weeks learning about DBC and the sector when we entered a national lockdown. Jadey has not only adapted to working from home in a new role, her line manager is really impressed with the way she has settled in and how she is making an impact within the business and helping learners. A shining star for the future.
And of course I should not forget our past Apprentices and their achievements, starting with our Finance Director Vicki Zolkiewicz, who joined DBC 10 years ago as a young apprentice and has progressed within the business, joining the board in 2020. Vicki fortunately for me is great with figures and finance and contributes her success to the skills learnt during her Apprenticeship. Vicki now mentors 2 young apprentices within her department and says “I have a passion for learning and development. My aim is to have a positive influence on the lives and careers of as many people as I can in a professional and personal capacity, whether that be staff, learners, family, friends and professional contacts.”
Over National Apprentice week I hope the stories of Apprentices past and present have demonstrated some of the amazing work apprentices do and go on to do. If you are a parent, learner, or employer and want to find out more about Apprenticeships then don’t hesitate to get in touch with our fantastic team."