MPQC leading by example

Mineral Products Qualifications Council takes on its own business administration apprentice

SINCE the introduction of the Apprenticeship Levy in April 2017, the Mineral Products Qualifications Council (MPQC) has been encouraging employers within the sector to make use of their Levy monies and take on apprentices, and last month the organization demonstrated that it is leading by example by employing its own apprentice.

Isaac Azim has joined MPQC on a Level 2 Business Administration Apprenticeship, facilitated by Stephenson College in Nottingham. He will be with the business for one year, working solely within MPQC’s commercial training division, MP Skills.

Some of the skills he will learn during his time at MPQC include customer service, business administration, data entry and basic financial processes.

Mr Azim said: ‘I’m really excited to get stuck into my apprenticeship at MPQC. So far, everyone has been really welcoming and I look forward to helping out the team with a wider range of responsibilities within the next few months.

‘One of the reasons I chose this apprenticeship was because of the variety of tasks I’d be getting involved in – hopefully this will be something that helps pave the way for my future career, whatever that might be!’

MPQC, which is pushing for employers within the mineral products sector to utilize the Apprenticeship Levy and take on apprentices, says larger employers can make use of their Levy funds and SMEs can claim up to 90% of training costs from public funding, which means that there has never been a better time to take on an apprentice.

In addition, MP Skills has recently launched a new industry apprenticeship: Mineral Processing Mobile & Static Plant Operator Apprenticeship (Level 2).