Staff Spotlight: Nikolas Willson, Head of Apprenticeships at EKC Training

Nikolas Willson is Head of Apprenticeships for Engineering, Health and Science at EKC Training. As a key advocate for apprenticeships, he started his very own career with an apprenticeship years ago.

We spoke to him about his role, why he would encourage someone to study an apprenticeship and why he is so passionate about inspiring the next generation.

What apprenticeships do you look after?

“I look after our Engineering, Manufacturing and Automotive apprenticeships, which support a broad mix of technical disciplines and career pathways.

“I also manage the Health, Care and Science apprenticeship programmes, which enable you to work as an Adult Care Worker or a Healthcare Support Worker.”

What do you do as Head of Apprenticeships?

“In my current job role, I lead a team of apprenticeship trainers. I have six members of staff who work directly with our apprentices. My job is to lead the team and plan for future growth and development in the sectors.

“Currently, the trainers work with between 35 and 40 apprentices, helping each student progress through their course. They check in with each learner every eight to 10 weeks, and set targets so they can complete their qualification.”

What do you like the most about your role?

“The thing I like the most about my role is working with my team. We have many opportunities to collaborate and share our knowledge and skills with each other. I’m very lucky to have an amazing team who are so passionate about what they do.

We’ve had some really good successes and built some strong partnerships. I’m very keen to continue to build an amazing provision.

“Convincing employers to take on our apprentices is probably the single biggest thing that we can do. The reality of the situation is young people are going to be the workers of the future. They will be skilled people in 10, 15, 20 years’ time. If we’re not providing them with the opportunities to learn the skills that they need, then we’re doing them a massive disservice.”

We hear you started your career with an apprenticeship, can you tell us about that?

“A long time ago I did a five-year Maintenance Engineering Apprenticeship, whilst working in a company local to Dover.

“I did one day a week at Thanet College at the time, which is now EKC Broadstairs College within East Kent Colleges Group.

“As part of this, I did four separate qualifications to complete my apprenticeship. I learnt all the skills I needed to do my job at the time, in addition to a lot more skills that I used later on in life, particularly in this role.”

What came after your apprenticeship?

“When I finished my apprenticeship, I did some engineering in the marine sector, working on boats. Eventually, a job opportunity came up at a school in Sittingbourne. I applied for that and started teaching in 2008/2009.

“I got my teaching qualification and worked there for seven years before starting a new degree in education. I ended up working for what was East Kent Colleges, which later became East Kent Colleges Group.

“I’m now in the Head of Apprenticeships role because I really saw an opportunity to develop the Engineering side of apprenticeships, looking back on my own experience. I wanted to try and grow the provision in the local area.” 

How do you think doing an apprenticeship yourself has helped you in your role? 

“I believe my apprenticeship is probably the biggest reason why I’ve never been out of work.  

“It gave me a really broad range of skills that I could apply to other job roles. So, I trained as a Maintenance Engineer, ended up doing a bit of marine engineering, and over the course of my career, I’ve learnt such a wide range of skills.  

“I have always been involved in apprenticeships in one way or another throughout my career.” 

How are apprenticeships structured here at EKC Training? 

“Most apprenticeships at EKC Training involve one day a week at College and then four days at work, although there are some other delivery models. For example, you might do a workshop in College once a month and then spend the rest of the time at work. 

“Essentially, all apprenticeships are a collaboration between the training provider, us, and the employer. We all work together to give the learner the knowledge, skills and behaviours that they need to successfully complete their job role.” 

If someone is reading this and considering an apprenticeship, what would you say are the key benefits?

“You will learn so many skills, depending on the programme that you go on. Obviously, we’ve got some that are highly practical in workshops with the Welding, Engineering and Motor Vehicle programmes.

“If you’re looking into Health, Care and Science, these will involve working in care or health settings, and these are also very hands-on.

“I’d argue the biggest single benefit of an apprenticeship is, quite simply, getting qualifications whilst getting paid a wage and growing your skillset.”

If somebody wants to apply for an apprenticeship with EKC Training, what should they do?

“If somebody wanted to apply for an apprenticeship with EKC Training, they can look on the website to find links to apprenticeships.

“They can also make an appointment with our team in Canterbury and meet with a recruitment officer. They will help guide them to appropriate employers and provide links for companies that currently offer apprenticeships.”

Thank you to Nikolas for sharing his story. If you’re interested in learning new skills whilst developing your career, start by exploring our apprenticeships today.