National Apprenticeship Week! Celebration Friday: What they did next
Posted on: 9th Feb 2024
Apprenticeships 
At Ignite, seeing the transformational impact of apprenticeships for both businesses and learners is our driving force.
One of our core objectives is to spread the benefits of vocational education as widely as possible, across a broad range of sectors.
As a forward-thinking apprenticeship training provider, expanding career and educational opportunities for our apprentices is our highest priority – and we are lucky to have many examples to celebrate.
In recent months, a particular point of pride was to see Joshua Read-Strahan recognised for his inspiring backstory and achievement of a distinction in his Level 2 Community Activator apprenticeship.
Josh delivers sport, physical activity and classroom support in a range of schools, as well as delivering holiday camps and community sporting activities across the county.
He was also invited back to his old school, Iffley Academy, to deliver an assembly on his apprenticeship with Ignite Training and how it aligns with his personal development and career aspirations.
Joshua’s achievements saw him win top awards at both county and regional level – and he’s since decided to continue his studies by progressing to the Level 3 standard.
For many apprentices, the next logical step upon completion of an apprenticeship may be to progress to the next level of their qualification. However, this is not the only way in which apprenticeships can create new possibilities for further education.
For instance, on completing Level 4 or Level 5 courses, which are the equivalent to the first two years of a bachelor’s degree, there is the option of obtaining a degree with a ‘top up’ year at university.
Apprenticeships also provide learners with the qualifications to apply and study a degree independently.
Georgia Hill studied Level 2 and Level 3 apprenticeships in sports coaching with Ignite Training before completing a degree in Physical Education at Leeds Trinity and a Masters at UCFB Ethiad.
Contrary to the view that apprenticeships are a ‘second best’ option for school leavers behind going to university, in many cases it serves as a stepping stone to higher education.
For businesses and learners alike, a key consideration when undertaking an apprenticeship is cost.
A unique strength of apprenticeships is the ability to combine your studies around full-time education – the option to ‘earn while you learn’.
Jessica Tripp was one of the first graduates nationally of the Level 4 Sports Coach apprenticeship when it launched in 2021.
She was able to combine her studies at Ignite Training with full-time employment as a coach with Sport4Kids, and later used the experience to advance her career and was promoted to Head of PE at the organisation.
The examples above are a cause for celebration for Ignite and it’s fantastic to see the many different paths our apprentices can take.
They serve as a powerful demonstration of the value that the modern apprenticeships landscape can offer.
Far from the traditional misconception that apprenticeships constrain learners to a narrow path into one defined field of work, they empower learners with a wealth of choices to achieve their professional and educational goals.
Get in touch!
At Ignite, we work with a number of employers as their chosen training provider and deliver the below apprenticeships:
- Level 2 (Community Activator Coach)
- Level 3 (Teaching Assistant, Teaching Assistant Sport, Junior Content Producer, Digital Marketer, Early Years Education, Sporting Excellence Professional, Team Leader/Supervisor, Community Health & Wellbeing Officer, Early Years Educator)
- Level 4 (Sports Coach)
- Level 5 (Learning & Skills Teacher, Operations/ Departmental Manager)
If you would like to learn more about our apprenticeships, get in touch today.
