Apprenticeships a fantastic way to start a career – they are a great alternative to college, or sixth form and they are highly valued by employers. Perhaps, best of all, with an apprenticeship you earn while you learn as an apprenticeship is a paid job where you also gain a nationally recognised qualification.
They are also available in several major industries from Agriculture and Equine to Health and Engineering and cover a variety of job roles.
Nathan Woodward, a Digital Marketing Apprentice at the Centre for Life in Newcastle, decided on an apprenticeship as he preferred to learn while working.
He said: “I prefer a ‘hands on’ approach to learning and also wanted to make connections within the industry which I may have struggled to do outside of an apprenticeship.
“In my role I am involved in many tasks such as using our content management system, monitoring our social media pages, adding content to the pages, and responding to comments across multiple platforms. I receive plenty of support from colleagues and my Trainer Assessor and I really enjoy my role.”
Nathan’s line manager Neil Woodward, Centre for Life’s Digital Marketing Manager is pleased with his progress.
He added: “Nathan has advanced in his role and is now able to work independently on a range of projects, from content creation to market research planning.
“Nathan supports the whole marketing and communications team assisting with photography shoots, press events and more.
“In addition to this, he also supports the wider organisation during busy periods, answering customer queries and covering for colleagues when required.”
Education Partnership North East – a dynamic partnership between Sunderland College, Northumberland College and Hartlepool Sixth Form – is one of the largest apprenticeship providers in the North-East and work in partnership with many of the region’s top employers to develop their training offer.
To find out more about apprenticeships and view the latest apprenticeship vacancies visit https://sunderlandcollege.ac.uk/apprenticeships/apprenticeship-vacancies/.
Sunderland College, as part of college group EPNE, receives an Outstanding rating across the board in its latest Ofsted inspection.
November 26, 2024
Sunderland College held their third Childcare Conference recently, giving students rich experiences to help inform their next steps.
December 2, 2025
Sunderland College and Sunderland Culture worked together in partnership with students to showcase their creative talents at an exhibition.
November 21, 2025
98% of our students progress to a positive destination
(*Destination data for Sunderland College students aged 16-18, academic year 2017/18).
Our achievement rates are well above the national average.
We are the College of the Year.
(*Top college nationally for BTECs, Pearson 2019)
100% of our HND and HNC students progressed to employment or further study.
(*Destination data, academic year 2016/17, HNC 19+)
We have recently invested £50 million in our facilities.
