Ella’s hired after successful pitch for apprentice award
APPRENTICE Ella Jackson, who works at Chipping Campden-based Robert Welch Designs, has won the Coventry and Warwickshire Freeman’s Guild for Small to Medium Sized Companies Apprentice of the Year, and with it a trophy and £1,000.
The award recognises the region’s best young apprentices, as judged by the guild, which dates back to the 14th century and is the only one in the country to make being a recognised apprentice a condition of membership.
Other guilds require payment or have hereditary memberships. Ella, aged 20, from Long Marston, has recently completed her Level 2 Business Administration apprenticeship and has progressed onto the Level 3.
As the first ever apprentice with Robert Welch, Ella said she has felt an added responsibility to make it work, and has taken on a range of responsibilities including running workshops and representing the company at trade shows.
And it is a testament to her success that three different areas of the business all pitched to offer her a permanent role before she decided to take the job of operations assistant.
She has also presented to her board of directors about the value of apprenticeships.
Ella said: “I was shocked when my name was read out because the others were such strong candidates, but I was mega happy and proud of myself. It really signifies my motivation to succeed.”
Alice Welch, deputy managing director at Robert Welch, added: “This kind of experience is invaluable for Ella as an employee and us as a business.”
