At 18, Kyle Gray is an integral member of Croydon Council’s Business Development team. Quite an achievement for anybody– especially at his age, Kyle attributes his success to the apprenticeship he is on.

Kyle started his apprenticeship by sending his CV to Connexions. He was then contacted by the Business Development team at Croydon College who discussed with him a role at Croydon Council, for a Level 3 Advanced Apprenticeship in Business Administration.

Kyle went for an interview and was successful in securing the position; he has since been working as an apprentice. Kyle feels that doing the apprenticeship has really changed his view on local councils and what they do. Importantly the apprenticeship is also bridging the gap between work and education, giving him the necessary and invaluable skills to succeed. Kyle, who is from Wimbledon, had this to say about his apprenticeship: “Being on an apprenticeship with Croydon Council has put me in a place to start work, develop as a person and be successful in the council.”

Kyle feels that since starting his apprenticeship he has grown as a person and that he can now apply some of his previous learning at college and see how it is practically used. He enjoys having responsibilities and being accountable for work and his confidence has grown because of this.

Alison Sadik, Business Development Manager and Kyle’s line manager knows the benefit of having an apprentice, mentioning that Kyle is a valuable young person and learns a lot fast.

Alison went on to say: “Apprenticeships are extremely important for Croydon and are a priority as part of our Workforce Strategy 2010 – 13. Croydon has a high youth population and an ageing workforce, so it is really important for the borough that we provide employment opportunities.”

Alison feels that it is excellent that Kyle gets to work in a central hub and witness the variety of the Council’s work. Alison said: “Having Kyle in the team is extremely beneficial for us and for him. He is learning real life skills and the full business development agenda from budget management, service planning, to the democratic process and why we exist. He is also gaining the necessary general office skills and protocols. We are benefiting from his personality, enthusiasm and support and have the added benefit of developing him to be a future manager or leader.” With more than 13,000 students choosing to study with the college each year, Croydon College is one of the largest providers of Further and Higher Education courses in the south east. It offers more than 350 qualifications. For more information please contact 020 8760 5914 or go to www.croydon.ac.uk.