Apprenticeship Fair 2022

10 February 2022

Birkenhead Sixth Form College welcomed nearly a dozen apprenticeship providers for a dedicated fair for students to find out more about the various routes that they can take after completing sixth form studies.

From software engineering and web applications to the Law profession, and Police and Army to mental health provision, all the organisation attending came from a broad spectrum of industries and specialisms, so students had a full view of potential next steps after College.

The industries also cover many of the Liverpool City Region’s Labour Growth Markets, which are all growing and thriving areas of employment that have been identified by the combined local authority as ideal sectors for young people to enter for work in prominent and diverse areas.

Hannah Sherlock was representing Grant Thornton at the fair, with whom she is two-and-a-half years through an accountancy apprenticeship having joined them after finishing sixth form.

Grant Thornton are a leading professional services network of accounting and consulting firms, and Hannah succeeded in gaining a place on an Audit accountancy apprenticeship with them in an extremely competitive field.

Hannah Sherlock of Grant Thornton

Hannah said: “My advice to anyone applying for an apprenticeship is to make sure that you tailor your application to the particular organisation that you’re applying for. Every business has a set of values, and making sure that your values align to theirs is really important. It’s not a one size fits all approach.”

On the benefits of taking the apprenticeship route after College, Hannah said: “Even if it’s not in accountancy like me, I’d highly recommend it. You finish the apprenticeship not just with great qualification but with years’ worth of experience of working in industry, building professional relationships, and you’re able to offer employers something that maybe someone coming straight out of uni can’t.

“You also don’t miss the social aspect that uni offers. I know that the course I’m on and many others are mainly taking on from younger age groups, so there’s a lot of socialising that goes on alongside the work.”