Andrew Pakes MP, Co-Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Apprenticeships, visited Education For Industry Group at Electra House this week. He met with CEO Lee Lucas and Director of Strategy & Funding Chris Amadeo, as well as Fabiola Osei-Hwedieh, Head of Apprenticeships, and Louis Clark, Head of Apprenticeship Development, from our EFI Training division.
The team met with Andrew to introduce him to the industry-specialist programmes delivered by EFI Training at the Fashion Retail Academy. Together they visited apprentices studying with EFI Training at the Fashion Retail Academy who were taking part in a Functional Skills maths class with tutor Vicki Fentiman.
Representing a range of employer partners, including Harrods, Selfridges and Warner Brothers, the apprentices are all at different stages in their apprenticeship journey: some recently joined the programme, while others are beginning to prepare for End-Point Assessment to complete their learning.
Lee, Andrew and the group discussed how the apprentices discovered the programme and whether they felt that careers advice at school was helpful in signposting the apprenticeship route. The apprentices also had the opportunity to ask about what the government is doing to promote apprenticeships as a more attractive option to those who prefer the hands-on learning experience offered by apprenticeships as opposed to traditional college or university studies.
On a tour of Electra House, Andrew visited the purpose-built fifth floor Fashion Design wing, where Andrew spoke to Fashion Retail Academy lecturer Caroline Bose about what the Level 3 Fashion Design students were working on. On the third floor, Andrew was impressed by the facilities available in the COG, including the library, laptop day loan lockers and Café.
In the Creative Lab, Andrew spoke to lecturer Rosie Coverini about the zine projects that her Level 3 Visual Communications & Styling students were creating. Finally, Lee and Andrew dropped into a masterclass for Level 3 Fashion Retail students given by FRA alumna Grace Downs, founder of social media agency, the Excelsior Collaborative.
We were delighted to welcome Andrew to Electra House, and look forward to continued collaboration in future to bring apprenticeships to the fore of industry-led education.
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