Posted on Tuesday 7th February 2023
Karen Dungey
A Lichfield-based HR business owner is calling on other employers and individuals to consider an apprenticeship this National Apprenticeship Week.
Jane Galvez of Ripple HR Ltd has now started her own Level 7 apprenticeship in MBA in Leadership after seeing how much her new apprentice Karen Dungey gained from learning while earning.
Jane said:
“When you watch someone develop as Karen has, you can’t fail to be inspired.
“Her confidence and skill base has come on extremely well. She’s an incredible asset to our team and is now a HR Manager. Thanks to Karen, my own apprenticeship is helping me to drive real innovation in our sector, which will make us very unique in the HR consultancy market.
“As a more mature apprentice, Karen is keen to bust the myth that apprenticeships are just for young people and only for people in the trades.
Karen added:
“Apprenticeships are for everyone, of every age and there’s an incredible variety of opportunities available. There’s no better time to find out which of the hundreds of apprenticeships available in Staffordshire could be right for you.
“For me it was a great way to pivot my career. After 20 years of helping other people to find their perfect job, the apprenticeship gave me the opportunity to do that for myself; going into HR, bringing my career development skills and experience with me.”
Karen’s recruitment and training was supported by a grant from the Staffordshire Means Back to Business scheme, a partnership between the county council and Staffordshire’s district and borough councils. Now data from the Office of National Statistics shows that more businesses are surviving across the county than most other places in the UK.
Staffordshire County Council’s deputy leader and cabinet member for economy and skills, Philip White said:
“Apprenticeships really are becoming the lifeblood of our small businesses. As a county council, our priority is to develop the skills of local people for the jobs of the future.
“Karen and Jane are great examples of how apprenticeships can be inspirational for both apprentice and employer. It’s all part of creating the conditions for a vibrant and strong local economy.”
Over £4.2m has been invested through the Staffordshire Means Back to Business scheme that has supported almost 500 new apprentices into training and work.
Details of hundreds of Staffordshire-based apprenticeship vacancies are available on the new Staffordshire Jobs and Careers website at https://bit.ly/ApprenticeshipsInStaffs
National Apprenticeship Week runs from 6 to 12 February.