QA was proud to host the UK’s first-ever apprenticeship alumni event Thursday 28th July at London’s International House, ushering in a new chapter in supporting former apprentices. Unlike their university counterparts, apprentices in the UK have lacked a real alumni community to connect with after completing their programmes—and QA aims to address this gap, starting now.
Attendees enjoyed a warm introduction from QAA Managing Director Ben Pike, an alumni panel discussion, a talk on establishing a strong network by keynote speaker Penny Power and a fun networking session during the England-Belgium match.
Penny Power, CEO/founder of The Business Café and author of a book on social networking for business, inspired alumni to build and maintain a strong network for career success. Power was awarded an Order of the British Empire in 2013 for her commitment to entrepreneurship and social digital development.
Former apprentices Amar Rai (now systems engineer at CISCO), Joshua Uwadiae (founder/CEO of WeGym) and Hayley Webb (senior customer service administrator at QA) shared their stories, challenges and successes in a lively panel discussion. The trio were also named the first of 15 QA Alumni Blue members—standout apprenticeship ambassadors leading the way in digital change—by QA Apprenticeships Managing Director Ben Pike.
“Community and business networks are so important in growing a career,” said Ben Pike. “We wanted to create a safe, supportive space for our former apprentices to talk about issues unique to them. It was a very moving evening to meet up with alumni who completed their programmes years ago and are now doing amazingly well.” “We listen to our apprentices’ feedback and are thrilled that we’re able to fill this gap in building an alumni community,” said Corporate Brand and Communications Director Mary Sansom. “Our apprentices are true trailblazers, whose stories are inspirational to anyone looking to start careers in tech today.”
QA is the first apprenticeship provider in the UK to build an alumni community—and with 20,000 QA apprentices placed and counting with 92% going on to full-time employment, it’s only set to grow. We look forward to hosting more regional alumni events this year to support former apprentices, celebrate their achievements and help them forge connections as they progress in their careers.
Click here to find out more about our alumni community.
About QA Group
QA is the UK’s leading learning organisation providing training, consultancy, apprenticeships and post graduate degrees on a range of technical, business and leadership subjects. With over 22 UK training centres – including their Apprenticeships and Consulting Academies – and a range of online learning options, QA offer an unparalleled set of learning solutions to both private and public sector organisations.