Below you can find success stories from some of our apprentices, FE students, HE students and more.
Oli Hardwick - Apprentice
Oli Hardwick left his previous college feeling dissatisfied with the structure of vocational courses and realised he would benefit more from a practical, hands‑on learning experience. This led him to explore apprenticeship opportunities that would allow him to learn directly in the workplace.
With a long‑standing interest in gaming, computers, and fixing technical systems, Oli applied for the ICT Solutions Technician apprenticeship when it became available and was successfully offered the role with Wyre Forest District Council.
Oli joined the organisation as a shy and unconfident apprentice, working in a frontline IT support role and interacting daily with staff through phone calls. As the youngest member of the organisation, surrounded by senior and experienced colleagues, this was initially a challenging environment. However, with strong support from his team and mentor, Gregg, Oli quickly grew in confidence. He adapted well to new responsibilities, became increasingly independent, and was praised for how quickly he picked up new tasks.
In his day‑to‑day role, Oli handles IT support calls, troubleshoots technical issues, and provides face‑to‑face assistance to staff by fixing devices in person. He also supports District Council committee meetings by helping to stream them to residents across the district. Through this role, Oli has worked with external organisations, including councillors and the fire service, further developing his professional communication skills and confidence.
As the first point of contact for new starters, Oli plays a key role in the onboarding process, ensuring staff feel supported and welcomed. He has learned the importance of being approachable, confident, and knowledgeable in delivering effective IT support, and has maintained a good report with the staff members across the organisation.
The college has been great in helping Oli with his theory with the team always there for any help, and structuring his coursework to be easy to understand with spreadsheets and progression tracking, which Oli loves and finds motivating.
Oli has thoroughly enjoyed earning while learning and values the apprenticeship as an alternative to traditional vocational and university routes. With a wealth of practical experience already gained, he hopes to continue his career with Wyre Forest District Council after completing his apprenticeship.
Emilia Attwood – Apprentice
During my time doing my apprenticeship, I learnt a wide range of different skills that I could apply in the workplace alongside my learning. The support of my tutors allowed me to progress further and develop this knowledge that I came into the apprenticeship with, and apply this to real life. With their support, I achieved a distinction.
Throughout the apprenticeship, we learnt about different aspects of a business, and how business administration is a fundamental part of the company. We learnt about administrative process and management, as well as other aspects such as project management and leadership development. This helped me throughout my career during my apprenticeship and continues to help me now.
I am now working in an Office Administration role. Everyday I use the skills that I was taught, and I am able to begin every task confidently, having background knowledge on the processes and style of work.
Toby Buxton - Level 3 Foundation Diploma in Art & Design
Toby Buxton initially chose HoW College because of its convenient location but decided to stay on and complete a foundation course due to the positive experiences they had already gained. They particularly valued the structure of the course, which provided a meaningful and supportive framework for developing both their artistic skills and personal growth.
The tutors played a significant role in this development, offering knowledgeable, enthusiastic guidance that boosted the learner’s confidence and helped them make substantial improvements in the quality of their work.
From September 2025, Toby will progress to study Fine Art Painting at the University of Brighton.
Gregg – Apprenticeship Employer
Wyre Forest District Council’s IT department has always taken on apprenticeships for years and following the loss of two team members, they needed to strengthen their operational support, and plan for future workforce development.
Using the available apprenticeship Levy funding, the council created an IT Support Technician apprentice role. This allowed the organisation to fully fund a new post whilst bringing in fresh talent that they could support in their future career, whilst addressing gaps in their day-to-day technical support.
Since Oli joined the team at 17 years old, he has made a significant contribution to the organisation by handling the majority of frontline IT support calls, helped revitalise the helpdesk and asset management systems, introduced clearer and more consistent processes, along with bringing fresh ideas and a modern approach to working practices. This was a breath of fresh air to a team who have worked at Wyre Forest for a long period of time.
Oli has had a positive effect on workplace culture, as well as productivity. Described as a “real character” and the department’s unofficial IT mascot, he quickly became a trusted first point of contact for colleagues across the organisation.
His energy and enthusiasm helped lift moral, particularly after a period of staff change, and contributed to a more collaborative working environment.
Oli’s mentor, Greg Evans, highly praised the choice of bringing in an apprentice to their organisation. Their eagerness to pick up new skills and take on new tasks, the chance for fresh ideas, and the college supporting coursework with weekly tutor meetings that are managed independently.
Their relationship with Heart of Worcestershire College was supportive, with an easy process to start a partnership, and the Solution team being flexible, and low administration and this allowed Greg to focus on operational needs whilst Oli progressed through their qualification.
Greg would recommend any other employer to consider taking on an apprentice, with it being as cost-effective role, the chance for new perspectives, the opportunity to tailor skills directly to the organisation, and a sustainable pipeline of future talent.
Greg commented: “A small investment of time goes a long way — you end up with a much more polished and valuable employee.”
The apprenticeship has strengthened frontline IT support, modernised their processes, improved morale, and developed a confident, skilled employee — delivering clear value to both the organisation and the apprentice.
Daniel Reece – T Level Health
For Daniel Reece, choosing HoW College was the first step towards a future in healthcare. Encouraged by his friends’ positive experiences at the college and his own experiences supporting family members through illness, Daniel learned just how important compassionate and skilled care can be. He enrolled on the Level 3 Health and Social Care course, passionate to begin his journey.
His success throughout the first year of this course inspired him to take the next step on our new T Level in Health, where he has fully embraced fresh challenges and opportunities/
Daniel enjoyed his time on the Health and Social Care course and found it to be a stark difference from his secondary school experience. With a combination of classroom learning and a work placement, he discovered that college was somewhere he could truly thrive.
During his placement in a residential home, Daniel supported residents with dementia, Parkinson’s, and a range of other needs. Although he found the new experience nerve-wracking at first, he soon grew in confidence as he learned to interact with residents sensitively and intuitively. He built many meaningful connections, including one resident who looked forward to their daily puzzle time together.
As Daniel progressed, his confidence grew thanks to the support of his tutors across both Health and Social Care and English. With the help of tutors Helen and Chase, Daniel retook his English qualification – an entirely different experience from secondary school. He found the tutors in-depth knowledge valuable and led to a greater understanding and appreciation for the subject. Although adjusting to a new exam board was difficult, Daniel was determined to succeed. Knowing that an English qualification was needed to develop a career in healthcare, motivated him to work hard and successfully passed his English exam, ready to move into the second year of his course.
During this time, HoW College introduced the new T Level in Health – designed with employers to ensure students gain essential skills required in the industry. After a discussion with his tutor, Nikki, Daniel felt that being in a hospital was the place he wanted to be and enrolled, becoming part of the first cohort to study the qualification at the college.
Daniel has continued to thrive with the new course. Moving from a course focused on the wider industry to a more science-focused structure allowed him a new perspective. He particularly enjoyed the academic challenge of the scientific units with the opportunity to apply that knowledge in exams.
Now in his first year, Daniel has loved the first few months of the T Level. His class of just six students means lessons are fast-paced, focused, and allow for in-depth discussions. The small group bonded quickly, forming a supportive and encouraging learning environment. Daniel struggled with presentations but with the support of his classmates, have found that they have become easy and fun to do, engaging with the audience, and found that this has only helped him in his work placements.
One highlight of the course has been the introduction of the St Wulstan’s mock hospital ward. The professional-level learning space gives students hands-on experience with industry standard equipment, including patient care manikins. In this safe environment, Daniel has been able to practice procedures such as tracheotomy care, intramuscular injections and scenario-based roleplay, which provides valuable insight for real-world work placements.
Daniel also praised the opportunity to complete a placement with the NHS, something extremely difficult to secure independently. Thanks to HoW College’s partnership, Daniel has spent his first placement on the Paediatrics ward, gaining an incredible amount of knowledge in such a short time. He hopes to experience the surgery ward next, and aims to explore as many aspects of hospital care before he progresses onto higher education.
With more time left on his course, Daniel is keeping his options open for his future. He is currently considering between adult nursing and paramedic science, and several universities and hopes to narrow his choice down over the next year before applying for higher education. Whatever path he chooses, Daniel is committed to making a positive impact to each patient he will go on to support.
Zac Watkins - Apprentice
Zac Watkins began his journey at Compco Fire Systems straight from high school, joining the company as a Business Admin Apprentice while undertaking the Business Administration Level 3 apprenticeship programme. He chose this pathway because he wanted to continue learning in an environment that offered valuable on‑the‑job experience, with the added benefit of being paid while studying.
Before starting the course, Zac’s role was already that of a Business Admin Apprentice, which gave him a strong starting point to apply what he was learning throughout the programme. As he progressed through the apprenticeship, he developed significantly in both technical and soft skills. At work, he learned the technical side of Compco’s operations, including designing sprinkler systems and providing quotes for enquiries. Alongside this, college helped him improve his use of software such as Canva, which later became useful during his Training Program at Compco.
Zac also experienced major improvements in his soft and transferable skills. His communication skills developed the most, especially verbal communication, due to exposure to the working environment and the tasks he completed in college. He also strengthened his time‑management, teamwork, problem‑solving abilities, and overall work ethic, all of which contributed to his growth throughout the apprenticeship.
During his time at Compco, Zac believes he has made a positive impact across the departments he has worked in. He received positive feedback from every team he joined, and his involvement often led to improved approaches to training future apprentices. In the Procurement department, he created and updated internal Work Instructions, which supported up to 20 employees and helped streamline their working processes.
Zac felt well supported throughout the entire apprenticeship. Both his employer and college tutors were consistently available, offering guidance not just for work‑related matters but for general support when needed. His tutors played a key role in helping him complete his coursework to a high standard, ensuring he stayed on track academically.
His hard work resulted in strong outcomes, including achieving a Distinction in his Business Administration Level 3 course. Following this achievement, he was offered a position within Compco’s Sales & Estimating department. This progression aligns with the company’s history of offering roles to apprentices who complete their qualifications across various teams.
Looking ahead, Zac’s main goal is to progress in his new role. He is eager to deepen his understanding of the technical aspects and continue developing both professionally and personally through his work.
Reflecting on his experience, Zac describes his apprenticeship as thoroughly enjoyable and transformative. It helped him become more confident, develop a wide range of skills, and feel consistently supported both at work and at college. For Zac, the apprenticeship has been highly successful, not only in helping him grow but also in leading directly to a job offer at Compco—an outcome he considers the best possible result of his journey.
Ben Atkinson - Apprentice
Ben Atkinson is currently completing a Level 2 Customer Service apprenticeship with B Smith Packaging LMT. Before starting this course, he had already completed another apprenticeship, during which he was studying a Level 3 Business Administration course. Wanting to move into a field more closely aligned with his interests, Ben chose customer service because sales is something he wants to pursue, and he recognises how valuable sales‑related skills are for any individual.
Since starting at B Smith, Ben feels his technical skills have developed a great deal. He has learned extensively about the company and is continuing to build his knowledge of the products every day. He has also learned more about himself—particularly that he is able to retain information effectively—and he has improved his time‑management skills, especially when it comes to meeting deadlines.
Ben’s transferable and soft people skills have also developed significantly throughout the apprenticeship. His confidence in dealing with people has grown, and he now feels equipped with skills that he can pass on to others who may undertake an apprenticeship in the future.
Ben believes he has had a positive impact on his workplace, offering support to everyone within the company. He feels he has become a useful asset, especially during busier periods when large volumes of work need to be completed. By being able to take on tasks when others are stretched, he has helped ease workloads and created a more efficient working environment.
He has also received a great deal of support from both his tutor and his managers throughout the year. His tutor has played an important role in guiding him through assignments, providing the right information so he can complete his work accurately and confidently.
Since joining B Smith, Ben has had access to many opportunities. He was able to attend the Farm Shop and Deli Show, which he really enjoyed, and he has taken part in several courses through the Chamber of Commerce. These included training sessions such as telephone techniques, helping him continue building his skills beyond the apprenticeship alone.
Looking to the future, Ben’s main goals are to pass his apprenticeship, continue expanding his knowledge, and develop his skills to the point where he can progress through the organisation and move up the ranks.
Reflecting on his experience, Ben feels his apprenticeship has gone really well. He has settled in extremely well at B Smith Packaging and is excited to see what the future holds.