Seevic

SEEVIC College Apprentice Stacey Curtis, 16, has been nominated for the Young Apprentice of the Year Award and successfully shortlisted as a finalist to win the award. With over 1,300 award nominations received by the National Apprenticeship Service, this is a great achievement.

Stacey said: "I was really shocked at the nomination but I’m really pleased to be put up for an award like this. It would mean a great deal to me to win the award as it shows all the hard work and effort I have put in throughout my course. To receive this award would show recognition for everything I have undertaken and it will look great on my CV.”

On the Young Apprenticeship Programme at SEEVIC College Stacey studies the BTEC First Diploma in Sports, which includes Basketball and Gymnastics coaching, organising football tournaments and First Aid training. This requires her to attend College on Mondays, carry out a work placement on Tuesdays, while the other 3 days are spent at school studying core subjects towards her GCSEs.

Young Apprentice Coordinator Julie Clark, who nominated her for the award said: "Stacey is an excellent student who will gain a Distinction Profile overall for her BTEC work and she has excellent communication and leadership skills that she shows through working with the pupils in the schools. We have attended local Primary Schools to carry out Junior Football Organiser Courses and Stacey, on many occasions took the lead and ran the sessions. She also helps to coach a gymnastics class on Saturday mornings."

Stacey carried out work placements at Primary Schools, Wintergarden and William Reed, and at Waterside Farm Sports Centre. Stacey said: “At the schools I was interested to see how differently they worked and I really enjoyed working with children with special needs as it was very rewarding and I could always see such an improvement in the children.”

After completing the YA programme and sitting her GCSEs Stacey plans to study full time at SEEVIC College to achieve the Level 3 BTEC in Sports Development, Fitness and Coaching. Stacey said: “When I have completed all my studies I would like to either become a PE teacher or a sports coach.
My dad is a football coach, so sports has always been a big thing in my family.”

SkillsActive Chief Executive Stephen Studd said: “I want to congratulate Stacey on her much deserved nomination for the East of England Young Apprentice of the year Award. The Young Apprenticeship in Sports Management, Leadership and Coaching is highly regarded and hugely beneficial. It provides a great way to enter and begin a career in a vibrant, exciting and public-focused sector that continues to gain profile, and is at the heart of society as a whole.”

Stacey has been invited to attend The National Apprenticeship Awards, where she will find out if she has beat off strong competition to win the award.