WEST Devon Borough Council has helped a number of young people to carve their career paths through its apprenticeship programmes.

National Apprentice Week, (held from March 5 to 9), has been running for 11 years and is a great opportunity for school-leavers, or anyone above the age of 16 years, to explore apprenticeships as a prospective ladder to a great career.

An apprenticeship is a fantastic opportunity to train while you work, providing you with the skills, experience and valuable knowledge to succeed in a chosen career path. There are a range of industries that offer apprenticeships, and on completion, you receive a certificate that is equivalent to a qualification (ranging from GCSE level up to degree level).

West Devon Borough Council has helped a number of young people over the years to shape their future careers through apprenticeships within its departments. The apprentices have ranged in age and experience.

Although a permanent job is not guaranteed after an apprenticeship, a number of the individuals who have passed through Council apprenticeships have gone on to fill positions on a fixed contract or permanent basis.

Mollie Deimert was part of WDBC’s apprenticeship programme in 2017 and is now a contract employee on the Customer Services team.

Mollie said: “My apprenticeship helped me so much with my Customer Service studies. I had real life customer service examples to use in my course work. In turn, I was able to then use my coursework to make improvements to my job.

“I’m so happy to have employment with the Council and I hope that I can develop myself further with them.”

Apprenticeships with the Council are advertised on the website and the National Apprenticeship website, when they become available.