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Prime Minister thanks Skills for Health employee

By TJ (25-02-2008)
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Learning and Development News - Prime Minister thanks Skills for Health employee

Lucy Rouillon, Support Skills Adviser within the Skills for Health London Essential Skills Team, was one of four young people invited to meet the Prime Minister at 10 Downing Street.  Thanking her for her achievements as an Advanced Apprentice working in the healthcare sector Gordon Brown said:

"The health service will benefit from everything you are doing so thank you very much."

Lucy is a good example of how talented young people can be attracted back into learning, when they find an approach that appeals to them. Having already decided to leave education at 16, Lucy was inspired by a talk given at her school about Apprenticeships.  She was drawn to the concept of earning a salary while learning so applied to do a two-year Advanced Apprenticeship in Business Administration based with the NHS.

Lucy now works with Skills for Health as part of the London-based Essential Skills Team.  The team's objectives are to train up small businesses in the independent and voluntary healthcare sector, help the unemployed get into work and support those who are interested in becoming self-employed and/or setting up their own healthcare businesses.

Currently, Lucy's role is to help unemployed men secure work in health and social care.  As a direct result of her efforts, more than 250 people have received information, 60 have been put through to interview and 40 are now employed.  Lucy puts her success down to the training she received during her Apprenticeship and the confidence she gained during the course.  She said:

"One of the most useful skills my Apprenticeship taught me has been how to communicate and empathise with all sorts of people from all walks of life.  This is something I will benefit from throughout my life.

"Also, when you leave school you don't understand anything about going out to work.  Practical things like developing a work ethic, organising your time, knowing how to behave in a work environment and having a professional approach, are all a mystery.  These parts of the training are every bit as valuable as the business administration knowledge I gained."

Of her meeting with the Prime Minister, Lucy said:

"He was really nice.  Having him congratulate me personally made me feel really proud and very motivated."

John Rogers, Chief Executive of Skills for Health added the organisation's congratulations to the Prime Minister's.  He said:

"We are all very proud of Lucy's achievements.  Being highly commended in the Apprenticeship Awards, competing against hundreds of others, is impressive indeed.  It demonstrates how, given the right support from employers, young people can sustain their enthusiasm for learning and discover their potential at the same time becoming valued and productive employees.  What better testament can there be to the worth of Apprenticeship programmes?"

Healthcare employers can find out more about offering Apprenticeship programmes by emailing qualifications@skillsforhealth.org.uk

The Apprenticeship Awards are sponsored by the Learning and Skills Council.  This year's awards are open for entries until the end of February and the award ceremony will take place on the 10th July.  A podcast of Lucy's Downing Street visit can be viewed at: http://www.number10.gov.uk/output/Page14394.asp

Image: Lucy Rouillon outside 10 Downing Street.

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