Success Stories

Rosie started her apprenticeship with Northpole Energy in Maidstone and travels to Steve Willis Training in Burgess Hill one day a week where she works with other students in the classroom and workshop learning the theory and doing practical tasks. In 2015 she won the Recognition of Achievement Award for demonstrating outstanding commitment to her apprenticeship.

Rosie liked school but felt that by doing an apprenticeship she was treated more like an adult.

"You have to do the job to learn it - you can’t learn a trade in a classroom! The apprenticeship in Gas Utilisation was recommended to me by a colleague who did his apprenticeship at Steve Willis. My employer also advised me to go there as he said there is no other training centre like it. Although I had to travel further to attend I didn’t mind as they have such a good reputation and the tutors make learning fun.

My employer supports me in the workplace with my learning and has also paid for me to attend additional courses at Steve Willis Training to broaden my skills and knowledge in the industry.  At work every day is different, we visit locations all over Kent and my jobs have varied from gas safety checks on burger vans to servicing Jimmy Carr’s gas fire!"

She feels that "The best thing about being an apprentice is learning on the job and earning a wage while you learn! I want to carry on learning and gain my commercial gas qualifications for mobile catering vans. It will help me to grow my own business, Rosie Glow, too!"