In April 2019, Apprenticeship Training Provider Educ8 Equine—part of Educ8 Training England—will celebrate its first successful year in delivering equine apprenticeships across the UK.

With its Head Office established near Devizes, Educ8 is building a strong reputation for matching quality candidates to roles and already has over 25 employers committed to using them for delivery of apprenticeships nationwide in Equine and Animal care as well as a number of occupational routes including: Retail and Hospitality, Health and Social Care, Education and Training and Business Skills.

As well as these more traditional apprenticeships, such as Equine, Educ8 is also delivering a number of modern programmes across different sectors, including an apprenticeship for School Business Managers as well as those looking for a career in Call Centre Management.

In the last year, Educ8 has established a team of Trainer/Coaches, to support learners throughout their apprenticeships, who all have qualifications and backgrounds in the relevant training provider industries; that means they have a wealth of direct experience within the industries into which they are placing candidates. As Jude Holloway, Chief Operations Officer, explains: “I’m thrilled with the team we’ve created at Educ8 England. With their combined experience, we are in a great position to be delivering flexible apprenticeships that work for both the employer and the apprentice.”

Educ8 now have a number of apprentices placed Nationwide, including Katie Shepherd, who is currently undertaking a Level 2 Equine Groom apprenticeship with International Event Rider Coral Keen. Upon finishing school, Katie was considering her next move when she saw the opportunity with Coral: “I knew I would be better suited to learning ‘on the job’ rather than in a classroom, so when I saw that Coral had a vacancy for an apprenticeship with Educ8, I knew I had to apply—the chance to gain a qualification doing something I loved was too good an opportunity to miss!”

Educ8 prides itself on not only supporting the needs of the apprentice, but also of the employer. Jude continues to say “What sets us apart from other apprentice training providers, we believe, is the quality of our vacancy matching. We are completely committed to ensuring that all parties involved have a positive experience from an apprenticeship programme. By taking the time to carefully, and correctly, match apprentices to employers we can ensure that successful programmes are delivered and employers will take on future apprentices—which has to be great for the equine industry!”

Educ8 England’s first anniversary falls just after the Government’s ‘National Apprenticeship Week’—aimed to highlight the changes in apprenticeships as well as their benefits for both individuals and businesses.