FREE Mobile Phones Spread the Word - West Briton

01 June 2001

A group of local young professionals celebrate the start of their Modern Apprenticeship programme with the presentation of a Nokia 3310 mobile phone from John Wilkie of Ultra Work Based Learning.

Jasmine Callister is studying for an NVQ level 2 in Hairdressing at Head Hunters, Redruth whilst Rebecca Parry starts a Hairdressing NVQ level 3 at Beyond the Fringe, Falmouth. Sarah Jennings’ chosen career is in Care and she has recently started her Modern Apprenticeship at the Redruth based Trelawney Nursing Agency.

Ultra, who have helped train Cornwall’s talented youngsters for over 20 years, manage Modern Apprenticeship on behalf of the Local Learning and Skills Council. The Apprenticeships, which form the centre piece of the Government’s drive to increase skills in the work place, are open to all 16 to 25 year olds who wish to train towards a technician or junior management position whilst in full time paid employment. The training, which comes completely free of charge, can be undertaken in a wide variety of occupations and leads towards a minimum qualification of NVQ 2 or 3.

John Wilkie, Ultra’s Operations Manager, said ‘Modern Apprenticeships are popular with both young people and their employers. They provide the skilled staff that employers require and, unlike some College provision, there is usually no need for the apprentice to take long periods off work to study. Ultra delivers most of the training in the workplace around employers’ business requirements and there is, of course, no cost. Modern Apprenticeships are, however, demanding and we thought it would be nice to mark the start of every young person’s commitment with the gift of a top of the range pay-as-you-talk mobile phone from local company Westalk. For many youngsters the start of their Modern Apprenticeship is also the start of their employed career so the phone should also help them with the new demands of their job.'