Fifty members of West Midlands Fire Service staff have embarked on apprenticeship courses in the past year. And the organization is hoping that a further 50 will embark on on-the-job training in the next 12 months. To mark National Apprenticeship Week, a number of West Midlands Fire Service’s partner training organizations joined them at their headquarters to share course details with staff interested in boosting their skills.
From West Midlands Fire Service transport and engineering workshops, through to members of the finance team and other departments’ managers, the West Midlands Fire Service staff is studying towards a range of qualifications to help them provide excellent service to their colleagues and communities.
develop and invest in talented individuals
Apprenticeships aren’t exclusive to young people – they also offer a valuable opportunity to up-skill existing staff
They make a monthly contribution to a national fund for apprenticeships, on which they can then draw to offer their staff work-based training leading to nationally recognized qualifications. By working with training providers including a number of West Midlands’ colleges and universities, West Midlands Fire Service are often able to offer staff tailor-made courses which directly complement their roles. These include their Complex Needs Officers.
Group Commander Steve Harris, who heads up the Organizational Learning and People Development team, said: “Apprenticeships aren’t exclusive to young people leaving education – they also offer a valuable opportunity to up-skill existing staff. We’re committed to offering quality apprenticeships which help our staff access on-the-job development, mentoring and line manager support whilst studying."
"Opportunities for apprenticeships can arise when we recruit someone new or need to develop the skills of an existing employee or team. Apprenticeships enable us to develop and invest in talented individuals for their own career progression, as potential future leaders and, ultimately, for the benefit of the West Midlands as a whole.”