Athena Care Homes is proud to be supporting National Apprenticeship Week (NAW) which takes place this year from 5 to 11 February.
With a spotlight on leaning and development NAW 2024 brings together people who are passionate about apprenticeships to celebrate the value, benefit and opportunity that they bring both to the employee and the employer.
At Athena Care Homes we are delighted to have a good number of our team taking apprenticeship courses in Health and Social Care As well as a range of other subjects.
The theme for National Apprenticeship Week 2024 is “Skills for Life” with the aim to encourage everyone to consider how apprenticeships can help to develop the skills and knowledge required for a rewarding career.
The week-long celebration of apprenticeships, taking place across England, will showcase the impact apprenticeships can have on communities, local businesses and regional economies and how they all benefit from the impact of learning and devlopment.
Apprenticeships are open to all. All ages. All sectors. All levels. All backgrounds. Apprenticeships are fully funded, develop people with the skills they need and can provide a route into successful and fulfilling careers.
To find out more about progressing your career through an apprenticeship talk to your line manager or visit our website
Learning and development – Athena Care Homes (UK) Limited
To find out more about the exciting opportunities which are available at Athena Care Homes visit Home – Athena Care Homes (UK) Limited
Hear we hear from some of our team who are currently taking an apprenticeship course
Katie Wright – Regional Trainer
Katie is doing a Level 5 Apprenticeship in Health and Social Care Management. It’s a two year course and she aims to be finished this year.
As one of our learning and development team Katie understands the importance of training. She stressed that there are lots of different modules available in the health and social care apprenticeships and many of hers have a focus on training.
“I would tell anyone thinking about doing an apprenticeship course to just go for it,” she said, “You don’t have to be academic – it is studying related to your job, so something which is open to all.”
Katie did A-level and started a degree course before falling into care work and finding she loved it. She now has a degree from the Open University.
“There is a lot of support for anyone doing an apprenticeship,” she added, “Not just from Athena but also from a dedicated tutor from our training provider.
“It’s good for career development and for personal development too.”
Chelsea Dighton – In-House Trainer and Team Leader, Avocet Court
Chelsea is currently completing her Level 3 Apprenticeship in Health and Social Care. All the module work has been completed and she just needs to finish off some project work but aims to be done by May.
Chelsea is a carer at Avocet Court in Ipswich but has a passion for learning and for helping others to learn too, which is why she loves her role as In-House trainer at the home.
“The Health and Social Care course I am doing is primarily aimed at carers and there are some compulsory modules but there is a lot of choice and you really can tailor the course to suit you, what you want to learn and achieve,” she said.
“You can learn for yourself but also to help bring knowledge to your workplace, such as the diabetes module which I am taking and which will help the team here at Avocet Court,” she added, “I would urge anyone to try, there’s no harm in trying and you might surprise yourself – I certainly have!”
Paris Harding- Carer at Aria Court
Paris Harding started her Health and Social Care Apprenticeship last May and is enjoying expanding her knowledge and gaining extra qualificatio9ns which will open up more opportunities for her in the future.
“I love my job here at Aria Court in March,” she said, “There is a lot more involved in care work than people think, I love getting to know the residents and talking to them. I can certainly see myself staying in the care sector so to be able to get a recognised qualification is a good thing.”
Paris, 19, added that she has been given a lot of support to complete her apprenticeship, fitting the modules into her own time as well as work time.
“It’s really easy to access the courses, either on ]my phone or on a laptop so I really can do the work when it suits me,” she said.
Adam Ratchford, Estate Manager
Adam Ratchford is Estates Manager for Athena Care Homes and a well-known face in all of our homes. He started with the company in 2020 and, already qualified with a Masters Degree in Engineering, was keen to do continuing learning with an apprenticeship.
“Apprenticeships are available to all and doing an apprenticeship means you can study and progress alongside your day job,” said Adam.
Adam is doing a Level 4 Apprenticeship as an Associate Project Manager, a course which will take about two years to complete, developing skills to enable him to progress in his role.
“Project management is an amazing tool for a lot of people,” he said, “And to have the support and time to study is a great opportunity.”
