Capital City College Group CEO Roy O’Shaughnessy to retire this year

Roy O’Shaughnessy, Chief Executive Officer of Capital City College Group (CCCG) – London’s largest further education college group – is to retire this year.

CCCG comprises City and Islington College, Westminster Kingsway College and the College of Haringey, Enfield and North East London, and apprenticeship and training provider Capital City College Training.

Roy, 67, leaves after four-and-a-half-years having led CCCG to an overall rating of ‘Good’ and being recognised as ‘Strong’ in meeting skills needs – the highest possible rating – in its latest Ofsted inspection report in January.

He said: “Everyone has to decide when the time is right, and I always felt that after Ofsted had done its work my term would be over. If I thought I could do another five years, I would be the first one saying I want to be there, but the truth is it’s time for me to retire and concentrate on my family and all those things you can’t do when you’re working.”

Roy joined CCCG in June 2018, replacing Andy Wilson, having previously spent six years as CEO for the Shaw Trust, a national charity helping people, particularly those with complex needs, into the workplace.

During his tenure, Roy has overseen the launch of 01 Founders, a tuition-free coding school with guaranteed jobs, and Visionnaires, a community interest company offering programmes to support aspiring entrepreneurs.

Under his leadership, CCCG has also improved its financial position without borrowing despite the impact of COVID and energy crisis, which has included exploring other commercial activities across its estate to support its long-term future.

Roy said: “This is my last substantive role and I do not plan on working full-time after this or going on to something bigger or better. We have achieved so much over the past few years, and I would like to wish my successor the very best in the role that I feel privileged to have held.

“I want to thank everyone who have been so gracious since I have been here at CCCG. You’ll never get everyone to agree in a college group of this size, but this is a place where everyone, from lecturer to manager to support role, truly wants the best for its learners.”

Pablo Lloyd OBE, who co-founded Visionnaires, has been appointed Chief Executive Officer of CCCG on an interim basis until Roy’s successor is appointed. He has 20 years’ experience in further education that includes Ufi/learndirect, Activate Business School and as a trustee for WorldSkills UK.

Alastair Da Costa, Chair of CCCG, said: “On behalf of all our learners, teachers and staff, I would like to thank Roy for his exemplary leadership and fantastic support. We are immensely grateful for the transformation he has led over the last four-and-a-half years and the strong legacy he has created for CCCG’s future.”

CCCG is looking to appoint a successor to Roy before the start of the new academic year.

Apprenticeship Levy must not be used at the expense of younger generation

National Apprenticeship Week, 6-12 February 2023

Many people still wrongly assume apprenticeships are for young people not academic enough to study for university.

Let’s be clear, apprenticeships are open to all ages. At Capital City College Group (CCCG) we currently have more than 800 adults compared to 185 who are aged 16 to 18 who are studying on apprenticeships from Level 2 to Level 5.

According to the Chartered Institute of Personnel Development, £2 billion of the Apprenticeship Levy over the past six years has been used on management apprenticeships for existing staff.

It stated that the number of people starting four popular management apprenticeships had grown tenfold despite apprenticeship starts falling overall with the biggest decline among school leavers.

As London’s largest further education provider, responsible for a fifth of college apprenticeship starts in the capital, we are proud of the number of adults on our apprenticeship training programmes.

It’s great to see apprentices like Laura Gripinska gain promotion at global real estate and investment firm CBRE after achieving a Distinction on her Facilities Management Level 3 Apprenticeship with us.

But at the same time, it’s vital employers do not spend all their levy money on developing existing staff at the expense of the younger generation who are most in need of job training.

You only have to look at two of the past three BBC Masterchef: The Professionals champions, Nikita Pathakji and Alex Webb, who trained with us to see the potential of apprenticeships at a young age.

At CCCG, we know that a lot of companies are still not able to spend the full levy pot, so there is ample to support both new and existing staff if employers and colleges work together.

Employers must play a bigger role in making apprenticeships attractive to young people by providing them with well-structured career plans and offering them incentives, such as the option to progress to a degree apprenticeship and job guarantees.

Adults taking apprenticeships can also play a part by sharing their experience with young people to emphasise that university is not the only route to employment and successful careers.

While it does take more supervisory time to work with a younger apprentice, this is true of any new employee. With the recruitment challenges many organisations are facing, taking time to recruit enthusiastic young people and train them properly has never been more worthwhile.

With little sign of an end of the cost of living crisis, having an actual paid job while studying for a recognised qualification makes an apprenticeship a real option for many people, and businesses should look to capitalise on this to strengthen their workforce.

Last month CCCG was rated ‘Good’ by Ofsted across all areas including apprenticeships with inspectors reporting “apprentices gain skills they apply successfully in the workplace.”

Our teachers were recognised for providing useful and helpful feedback on apprentices’ work to help them improve with the standard of their work being good or better. Ofsted also noted how well CCCG and employers plan training programmes and report on apprentices’ progress.

We remain committed to working with employers to produce skilled workers of all ages that employers need now and in the future.

Find out more about our apprenticeships and how we can support you here.

Apprenticeships: Your quick and easy guide to all you need to know

National Apprenticeship Week, 6-12 February 2023

Capital City College Group offers one of the largest range of apprenticeships in London with top employers from across the capital. Here’s a quick guide to everything you need to know about apprenticeships.

What is an apprenticeship?

An apprenticeship is an actual paid job where you spend 80 per cent of your time working and 20 per cent of your time learning the skills for the role. However, there are many options on how this can be provided to meet both the employer and apprentice’s needs.

Are apprenticeships only for young people?

No. Apprenticeships can be taken by anyone regardless of their age and qualifications. Currently, 185 of our apprentices are aged 16-18 and more than 800 are adults.

When can I start an apprenticeship?

You can start at an apprenticeship at any time of year like any other job. School-leavers should start looking and apply now for vacancies starting in September.

Are apprenticeships for those did not do well in their GCSEs?

No. However, the grades you get in your GCSEs and any other existing qualifications and experience can determine your eligibility for some apprenticeships.

At what Levels can you do an apprenticeship?

Apprenticeships are set out in Levels depending on the skills required for the job.

  • Level 2 is for entry jobs into sectors including construction and customer services.
  • Level 3 is equivalent to A levels for roles requiring advanced skills such as technicians and supervisors.
  • Level 4 and Level 5 are equivalent to and HNC, HND or foundation degree.
  • Level 6 and Level 7 are Degree Apprenticeships.

Are apprenticeships only for manual labour jobs?

Not at all. While we provide excellent apprenticeship training for construction and engineering careers, there are many other areas you can take an apprenticeship in from accounting and hospitality and culinary arts to digital media, healthcare and business administration.

How much will I get paid?

How much you will be paid will be up to the employer. Whether you are aged 16 to 18 or over, you will be entitled to at least the National Minimum Wage and be entitled to holiday pay and other employee rights. Many of the employers pay significantly above this wage with the average salary for an apprentice in the UK around £20,000 a year.

What qualifications do I need to do an apprenticeship?

Entry requirements will vary depending on the Level of apprenticeship you are applying for. Typically, a Level 3 apprenticeship will require four to five GCSEs at 9-4 grades including English and maths. Sometimes these can be taken alongside your apprenticeship. Other qualifications and sector experience are also considered.

Can I get into university with an apprenticeship?

Yes. If you successfully complete a Level 3 apprenticeship with a high grade. Level 3 qualifications are the equivalent of up to three A Levels and marked Pass, Merit or Distinction. You could go on to do a degree apprenticeship with a company where the employer would cover your tuition fees.

Why should I choose CCCG for an apprenticeship?

We work with employers across London to run more than 1,000 apprenticeships each year and are responsible for a fifth of college apprenticeship starts in the capital. Our industry-experienced teachers and employer partnerships mean you will receive the highest standards of training to get the skills needed for your career.

Which employers does CCCG work with?

We work with more than 500 different employers from small businesses to large multinational employers. Here’s a few examples:

  • Level 2 Pharmacy Assistants with Barts, Guy’s and St Thomas’ Hospitals.
  • Level 3 Engineering with Alstom and Siemens.
  • Level 4 Procurement and Supply with the Bank of England, Currys and Transport for London.
  • Level 5 HR with London Ambulance Service, O2 and Ladbrokes Coral.

How do I apply for an apprenticeship?

You can see a full list of our apprenticeship vacancies here or apply for the type of apprenticeship you are interested in here and we will match you with an employer. We will support you with the application process including CV writing and advice on interviews.

Apprenticeship vacancies are also advertised on job boards and other recruitment websites as well as on GOV.UK here.

If you are an employer interested in running apprenticeships, find out more here.

Find out more about our apprenticeships here.

Here’s why our students agree with Ofsted that CCCG is ‘Good’

This week Capital City College Group (CCCG) was rated ‘Good’ in its latest Ofsted report.

CCCG comprises City and Islington College, Westminster Kingsway College and the College of Haringey, Enfield and North East London, and apprenticeship and training provider Capital City College Training.

Our colleges offer A Levels, T Levels, BTEC and City & Guilds diplomas and certificates, higher education qualifications, Access to Higher Education courses, apprenticeships and many other study programmes.

Read more about our Ofsted report here.

Find out below why our students and apprentices think CCCG is ‘Good’ when it comes to getting the skills, knowledge and experience for university and your future career.

‘You get all the information you need’

“WestKing is the perfect college because of all the support you receive. The college community made me feel very welcome and my teachers are really nice. They’re not on your shoulder all the time and you get all the information you need to learn independently. I feel very comfortable and know if I have an issue, even if it’s outside of college, I can speak to them. They’ve helped me so much, and because of that support I feel more confident about going to university.”

Anastasia Asaeva, Games Design and Animation student at WestKing

‘I couldn’t ask for a better college’

“The teachers and staff at WestKing are friendly and give us all the support we need. They have a lot of experience working in different restaurants and take the time to explain things to make sure we understand. They really want us to improve. The college also has great connections in the industry. I’ve work been on work experience at The Ritz and Lord’s Cricket Ground. It’s amazing to get these kinds of opportunities. I couldn’t ask for a better college. It really is a great place to study.”

Ruzilsa Cardoso, Patisserie and Confectionary student at WestKing

‘Everyone wants to help me’

“I’m glad to have the opportunity to study at CONEL. I came to England from Ukraine seven months ago and this is a real chance for me to improve my knowledge and experience, as well as to find a good job.  I like my classmates, and It’s especially nice that everyone wants to help me as a new student. We have very good teachers who explain and convey information very intelligibly. When my friends ask where I study, I’m happy to talk about CONEL and the opportunities it provides.”

Kostiantyn Lieontiev, Creative Media Production student at CONEL

‘I feel very confident about my future’

“My apprenticeship is very well structured and has given me a good knowledge and understanding of the building industry. I’ve learnt about construction principles and design and gained experience in scanning for property defects on site. The teaching has been really good. My tutor has provided me with the competencies I need to complete for my end-point assessment. He tracks my progress and tells me what areas I need to improve. I feel very confident about my future.”

Omar Khan, Surveying Technician apprentice with CCCT

Find out more about courses and apprenticeship with CCCG and apply here.

Staff and students at Capital City College Group celebrate impressive successful recent Ofsted outcome under new enhanced inspection framework

Capital City College Group (CCCG) – London’s largest Further Education college group – has been awarded a rating of ‘Good’ in its latest Ofsted inspection report.

  • CCCG rated GOOD against all key judgements and provision types
  • CCCG recognised for STRONG contribution to meeting skills needs

CCCG, which comprises City and Islington College, Westminster Kingsway College and the College of Haringey, Enfield and North East London, and apprenticeship and training provider Capital City College Training, was inspected from 5-12 December 2022.

Ofsted judged the College to be ‘Good’ in all of its key judgments and provision types. Furthermore, under the new enhanced framework, the colleges contribution to meeting skills needs was acknowledged to be ‘Strong’, the highest rating possible.

CCCG was praised for offering a “rich and challenging curriculum” that students enjoy, which enables them to gain “highly relevant knowledge and skills to help them progress.”

Ofsted recognised that “learners and apprentices, no matter which campus they study at, or which course they are on, have a positive experience.”

The report particularly highlighted that A Level students gained a deep understanding of their subjects and apprentices gained skills they can apply successfully in the workplace.

It further found the high number of adults on English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) courses improve their communication skills and gain confidence to carry out tasks in their daily lives.

Inspectors also noted students with SEND and other high needs receive very good support from teachers and staff who enable them to access the curriculum and other activities.

Overall, Ofsted found the majority of students successfully completed their courses and there had been an increase in those achieving high grades in GCSE English and maths due to the “notable improvements” in the teaching of these subjects.

Inspectors highlighted students’ “positive attitudes to their learning” and how they are supportive and respectful towards each other and their teachers.

Teachers were recognised for how they plan and teach the curriculum and use their “subject and industry expertise to good effect” to ensure “learners and apprentices gain highly relevant knowledge and skills to help them progress to their next steps”

The report noted teachers’ use of effective assessment methods to identify gaps in knowledge and how they encouraged debate and use IT applications to check students’ understanding.

It added that teachers gave clear and comprehensive explanations, carefully crafted questions and useful and helpful feedback on students’ work to help them make improvements, resulting in their work being either good or better.

College leaders, managers and staff were all praised for working hard to improve the quality of education. Senior management and governors were recognised for having a good understanding of the college group and putting in place clear actions and effective processes that lead to improvement including good, continuous professional development for staff.

Ofsted’s recognition of the colleges’ strong contribution to meeting skills needs was particularly pleasing. It reported leaders and managers work very closely with a range of external stakeholders and these partnerships result in a rich curriculum for learners. It added the curriculum meets skill priorities, supports employers, provides good progression for learners and ensures learners from a range of backgrounds engage in learning.

Kurt Hintz, Executive Principal of CCCG, said: “I am absolutely thrilled that Capital City College Group has been awarded a rating of ‘Good’ in its latest Ofsted report, which recognises the incredible work that goes on across our colleges every day.

“Teachers and staff across all our colleges have all worked exceptionally hard to make sure we attained this excellent result, and I want to thank each of them wholeheartedly for making this happen. It is a tremendous achievement and one they can be rightly proud of.

“Of course, we will not rest on our laurels, and are already looking to build on this success so we can offer an even better education experience to all our learners.”

Find out more about our courses and apprenticeships and apply here.

CCCT’s Managing Director Jackie Chapman speaks to Parliamentarians on Apprenticeships in the House of Commons

Jackie Chapman, Managing Director of Capital City College Training (CCCT), spoke at the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Apprenticeships meeting in the House of Commons on Tuesday 14 June.

The meeting examined flexible working and apprenticeships, looking at the lessons learnt from remote apprenticeships. Jackie, alongside fellow industry speakers, discussed the challenges that apprenticeships faced during the COVID-19 pandemic, and how a hybrid model of working has enabled new opportunities for apprentices. She also called on Government to make changes to the Apprenticeship Levy.

What’s an APPG?

All-Party Parliamentary Groups (APPGs) are informal, cross-party groups formed by MPs and Members of the House of Lords who share a common interest in a particular policy area, region or country.

Although they are not official parliamentary committees, these groups can be influential because of their non-partisan and cross-party approach to an issue. In addition, the fact that APPG usually have both MPs and Peers in them makes them uniquely representative of both chambers of Parliament.

Parliamentarians interested in the education sector can join a number of APPGs, including for Further Education and Lifelong Learning, Digital Skills, Adult Education, Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND), and Skills, Careers and Employment, as well as this one – on Apprenticeships.

CCCT is the largest further education apprenticeship provider in London, training more than a fifth of apprentices in the capital. The APPG on Apprenticeships meeting was an excellent opportunity for Jackie to raise the profile of CCCT with MPs and Peers. With over 25 years of experience within the apprenticeships sector, Jackie shared her knowledge with to the APPGs members, giving examples of the effect of the pandemic on apprenticeships and apprentices.

The meeting was chaired by APPG Officer, Lord Alastair Aberdare, who introduced the speakers. In addition to Jackie, the session also heard from Dr Jacqueline Hall, Head of Apprenticeships and Skills, BAE Systems Plc; Sue Parr, Director of Part-time Programme and Work-based Education, Warwick Manufacturing Group, University of Warwick; and from the HomeServe Foundation, Michelle Price, Director, and Liz Slee, Research and Public Affairs Specialist.

Jackie spoke of the challenges that CCCT faced at the start of the pandemic and how they worked to overcome them – these included “learning about data poverty for the first time because although we supplied devices [with help from the Department for Education’s donations], we also had to supply broadband or mobile data to a lot of households, particularly for young apprentices – so they could actually use their device.”

CCCT adapted to the needs of the sector during the pandemic, for example in Pharmacy, where the pressures of the pandemic changed the hours and shifts of pharmacists and increased their workload, making it harder for them to support our apprentices.

“What we found is that every industry is different in terms of the pandemic, the impact on apprentices and how we had to adapt” she said.

CCCT had around 100 Pharmacy apprentices working in the NHS during the pandemic, and the programme had to be adapted into bite-sized chunks of learning, with breaks in the programme when the pharmacists’ working hours became too busy. This resulted in some apprentices taking two years to complete a 1-year Level 2 apprenticeship, as COVID-related disruption meant they were only learning for 12 months of those two years.

Mental health and the lack of peer-to-peer support was a particular challenge for our apprentices during the pandemic. Jackie praised the staff who offered to take on pastoral support during evenings and over the weekends and said one of the most frequent compliments she gets from apprentices on completion of their course, is “my assessor was there when I needed them, but there isn’t someone in the workplace who could be there”.

Jackie concluded by calling on the Government to offer greater flexibility for providers by allowing the transfer of the Apprenticeship Levy to the organisation that provides the apprenticeship training (typically a further education college or a private provider), so they can continue to support the apprentice when they change jobs – currently as soon as an apprentice concludes their studies, the provider can no longer support them.

Lord Aberdare, Baroness Garden of Frognal and Baroness Verma asked questions about how apprenticeships can become more accessible to small and medium businesses, whether the Apprenticeship Levy works, and what the Government can do to improve the apprenticeship system. Jackie confidently answered the questions that she was asked and the APPG’s members were very interested in her suggestions.

Capital City College Group is the largest further education apprenticeship provider in London. As well as sharing our views with influential parliamentarians, we also train 22% of all of London’s apprentices. While most of our apprentices are trained by Capital City College Training, our hospitality and culinary apprentices are trained at Westminster Kingsway College’s School of Hospitality and Culinary Arts in Victoria.

Through CCCT and Westminster Kingsway, we deliver over 1,600 apprenticeships each year, working with well over 500 organisations across a wide range of industries. Find out more about our apprenticeships and training courses and how to apply here.

Our political activity: a round-up

As one of the UK’s largest Further Education (FE) organisations and London’s largest FE college group, it’s important for Capital City College Group to work with politicians, and others in the education sector and in the wider economy. For example, MPs of all parties help shape public opinion and Ministers in Government make decisions that affect the funding of colleges and the lives of our staff and students – so meeting them and explaining to them the important work that we do, and asking them to consider changes to policy, is very valuable.

Over the last six months, we’ve built on the work we started last year – meeting MPs, hosting events and responding to consultations, as well as keeping up with the fast-changing post-16 education activity in Parliament. Here’s a summary of what we’ve been up to.

Back in November 2021, during Global Entrepreneurship Week, we hosted an event to celebrate the expansion of our innovative Visionnaires entrepreneurship programme. Visionnaires has already helped over 500 people start new businesses through its free programmes and earlier in 2021, we’d formed a community interest company with United Colleges Group, South Thames Colleges Group and NCG, to bring Visionnaires to eight more colleges around the country.

At the event, our guests heard from Small Business Minister Paul Scully, who said: “Visionnaires has already enabled innovative entrepreneurs to prosper through networking and support. These are initiatives that the Government strongly supports because being able to draw on the experience of others and connect with likeminded people is so invaluable whether businesses are starting up or scaling up. Projects like Visionnaires play a crucial role in complementing the support that’s given by the Government.”

2022 started on a high for us, as in January we were told by the Greater London Authority that the Group had been successful in its bids to run four new Mayor of London Academy Hubs. The Academies will fast-track Londoners into work by giving them the skills they need to drive the capital’s economic recovery from the COVID pandemic. CCCG won £1.5 million to run hubs in Digital, Hospitality, Creative, and Green industries after successful bids to the Mayor’s Academies Programme.

In February, during National Apprenticeships Week we welcomed Skills Minister Alex Burghart MP to our construction and engineering conference at our Westminster Kingsway College’s Victoria Centre. Mr Burghart mingled with employers and apprentices, before making a speech to the group where he spoke of the importance of apprenticeships to the current skills market.

Also during National Apprenticeships Week, the MP for Enfield North, Feryal Clark, visited CONEL’s Enfield Centre, where she had a tour of our facilities and met staff and apprentices on our engineering and construction provision. Feryal thoroughly enjoyed the visit and said: “Apprenticeships can make a real difference to young people’s future, and I’m delighted we have such a great provider with brilliant apprentices here in Enfield North.”

We’re doing a lot of innovative and important work with construction and engineering employers in Enfield and Feryal was very interested in how we are helping her constituents into great careers. She also asked us what she can do to help the Further Education sector in Parliament, and so we hope to continue working with her on this in the future.

February also saw the publication of the Government’s long-awaited Levelling-up White Paper. At the time, our Chief Executive Roy O’Shaughnessy commented on the White Paper’s failure to recognise London’s levelling-up needs. He said: “London is home to around 2.5 million disadvantaged people and a greater proportion of its population are poor than that of any other UK region. For example, some 67 per cent of our students are in the bottom three bands of social deprivation, but not one of the 55 new Education Investment Areas will be in the capital.”

Roy also urged the Government to acknowledge the vital role that FE colleges can play in upskilling the UK’s workforce, and called for the sector to have a sustainable and longer-term funding settlement, to enable colleges to support the Government’s levelling-up plans.

In March, during Food Waste Action Week, Jo Churchill, the Minister for Agri-Innovation and Climate Adaption, visited WestKing’s Victoria Centre, where she found out about what the college’s School of Hospitality and Culinary Arts is doing to tackle food waste. At the event – organised by the charity WRAP – our culinary students, led by Culinary Arts Lecturer Vince Kelly, treated the Minister and guests to a menu of delicious food made from some of the most commonly wasted foods in the home. The Minister was delighted with the food and enjoyed talking with our students about their experiences at WestKing.

We have also been busy keeping up with the changes to post-16 qualifications in parliament.

In January we briefed our local MPs on the Skills and Post-16 Education Bill, along with other MPs with an interest in education. In the briefing we highlighted important areas of interest for the CCCG and what MPs can do to help. Once parliamentary ping-pong concluded (where the Bill was passed between the House of Commons and the House of Lords until all amendments were agreed to) the Bill received Royal Assent and became the Skills and Post-16 Education Act on the 28April 2022. 

The last six months have also seen significant Government proposals to change the post-16 qualification landscape, so we have responded to the House of Commons Education Committee inquiries into the future of post-16 education and careers information, advice and guidance; as well as a Department for Education (DfE) consultation on review of level 2 and below qualifications.

Our colleges also run a number of access and degree-level courses, and so we responded to several consultations on proposed changes to Higher Education, including changes to student loans through the Lifelong Loan Entitlement and the Higher education policy statement and reform, and Office for Students (OfS) consultations on a new approach to regulating student outcomes and the Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF).

The work of analysing these consultations (which often run to over 100 pages each) and then writing our response, is complicated and time-consuming, but it’s important that our voice – and the voices of our students – are heard by those in power.

What next?

We are working with our staff and students on our response to the Government’s consultation on the SEND (special educational needs and disabilities) Green Paper, right support, right place, right time. Some 3,239 students (or 10.8% of our students) have some form of learning difficulty – including 595 who have an Educational Health and Care Plan (EHCP), meaning that they must have additional support to meet their educational, health and social needs and the proposals in the SEND Green Paper (to change both the SEND and alternative provision systems) will affect them directly.

Throughout the rest of the year, we will continue to engage with our local MPs and other important political figures and keep up to date with parliamentary activity.

If you would like to find out more about our political activity or would like to work with us, please contact Neil Cox, Head of Policy and Communications at neil.cox@capitalccg.ac.uk

City & Guilds recognises Capital City College Group for its ‘high quality’ apprenticeships

Capital City College Group (CCCG) has received an award from City & Guilds for the “high quality and standard” of its apprenticeships.

The awarding body recognised the Group’s success after reviewing the number of apprentices passing their end point assessment (EPA) with Distinction, their feedback and quality of service.

Elizabeth Akinaja, Business Development Manager at City & Guilds, presented a plaque to CCCG when she visited the College of Haringey, Enfield and North East London (CONEL) on 18 May.

She said: “We have analysed our EPA data and selected a small cohort of providers that have met these criteria with evidence of volumes of Distinctions and positive learner feedback.

“As a result of the high quality and standard of your apprenticeship provision, we would like to present you with a personalised EPA plaque.”

The majority of CCCG’s apprenticeships are available through Capital City College Training (CCCT), London’s largest apprenticeship provider, training more than fifth of all apprentices in the capital.

The Group offers apprenticeship training in sectors including accounting, business administration, construction, healthcare, hospitality and culinary arts, customer service and facilities management.

Electrical Installations apprentice David Jones, 28, from Haringey, said: “I’m a bit older than most apprentices and I’ve tried a few things in the past including bricklaying, forklift driving, sales and removals. They were enjoyable, but not to the same extent as this.

“I’ve also got two uncles who are electricians and just thought that this kind of work would suit me better. It’s not just physical but involves using your mind as well. You’re also not doing the same thing every day, and that really appealed to me. If there’s a fault, you have to find it, look at the cable routes and how it fits together, and then plan how you’re going to fix it.

“I had a really good supervisor on my first apprenticeship job who helped me with the basics by breaking things down to making it easier to understand, which gave me a good head start. I’ve enjoyed learning not just about the electrical side, but how a building goes up from start to finish.

“I did look at doing a full-time course, but it didn’t fit right and then this opportunity came up and it was good money for an apprenticeship. I think most employers, if they see you’ve done an apprenticeship, it looks better because you’ve got the experience and a qualification to go with it.”

Each year CCCT works with more than 500 organisations to train 1,500 apprentices, as well as offering free short courses and employability skills training to help get people into work.

CCCG Executive Principal Kurt Hintz said: “We are absolutely thrilled that our apprenticeship provision at CCCG has been recognised by City & Guilds, which is a credit to the excellent work of our apprenticeship teams and the fantastic achievements of our apprentices.

“I am enormously proud of our success in delivering such a high standard of apprenticeships at CCCG. I have no doubt that with such incredible commitment from our colleagues, employers and apprentices we will remain London’s number one provider for apprenticeship training.”

Apprenticeships are paid jobs that are open to all ages, which usually comprise four days with an employer and one day of study towards a recognised qualification. They enable you to earn while you learn and gain real work experience in your chosen sector with no student debt.

Find out more about CCCT apprenticeships and training courses and how to apply here.

Queen's Award for Enterprise