As part of our ongoing mission to work with young people and Employers to deliver life changing employment opportunities and provide outstanding teaching, learning and assessment, all of our Apprentice Intake Executives are now applying to become STEM Ambassadors within their local regions.

STEM Ambassadors are Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Ambassadors who work with schools on a voluntary basis, providing support and encouragement as well as being role models for young people and children in the Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths areas.

They use their enthusiasm and commitment to encourage young people to enjoy STEM subjects. They open the doors to a world of opportunities and possibilities which come from pursuing STEM subjects and careers.

STEM Ambassadors not only inspire young people, they also support teachers in the classroom by explaining current applications of STEM in industry or research. Furthermore they contribute to their local community and at the same time boost their own professional skills, experience and confidence.

Lisa Taylor, Apprentice Intake Executive for our Sheffield Academy is one of the STEM Ambassadors at 3aaa. Lisa initially contacted WiSET (Women in Science, Engineering and Technology) which is run through Sheffield Hallam University and holds numerous events to engage more females into these popular industries. Lisa said “This is a voluntary programme that enables anyone with STEM skills to inspire young people and demonstrate the possibilities of STEM subjects and careers. The value of how I can both demonstrate and then support real careers in Technology is a real bonus when carrying out my day to day work with the Apprentices”.

Jules Williamson, Apprentice Intake Executive for our Cambridge Academy has also recently been accepted as a STEM Ambassador for Cambridgeshire. Harry Baird, Academy Manager for Cambridge said “This is great news and a great chance for us to try and bring more females into the Technology industry, Jules has the right personality to inspire young people within her position.”

You’ll now find a 3aaa Academy in Bedford, Birmingham, Brighton, Bristol, Cambridge, Chelmsford, Derby, Leeds, Leicester, Liverpool, London, Manchester, Milton Keynes, Newcastle, Nottingham, Oxford, Sheffield, Tamworth and Watford.

We’ll soon be opening Academies in Croydon, Guildford, Maidstone, Northampton, Norwich, Reading, Southampton and Worcester.

If you’re an Employer looking to take on an Apprentice or a young person looking to take your first steps into an exciting career in IT, Social Media or Accounting get in touch with us today : 0844 504 3174.

On Friday 5th September, we held our own Teachers Celebration Day where the 3aaa Apprentices became teachers for the day. Every Apprentice from the 3aaa Academies in Milton Keynes, Birmingham and Watford delivered a 10 minute teaching session on a subject of their choice to the Academy staff and their fellow Apprentices.

India has been celebrating Teachers Day on 5th September, since 1962. The day commemorates the birthday of Dr Sarvepalli Radhakhrishnan, a philosopher and a teacher par excellence, and his contribution towards the Indian education system. Dr Radhakhrishnan was a firm believer that “teachers should be the best minds in the country”.

As part of the festivities for the day and to make the day more fun and memorable for the Apprentices, the 3aaa Academy staff dressed in traditional Indian wear to celebrate teachers Day. There was also an added incentive for the Apprentices during the day as the group that completed the best teacher session received £10 worth of Itunes vouchers each.

Deepa Artani, Accountancy Trainer at the 3aaa Watford Academy said “I am passionate about teaching and teachers day is very close to my heart. I have always taken part and enjoyed the teachers’ day celebration. It was an amazing experience to celebrate and recognise the on-going contribution of teachers at 3aaa. Celebrating this day brought a sense of responsibility, respect for teachers and leadership skills to the Apprentices in the class. They were appreciative of what the teachers do in the class and it gave them opportunity to get together and work on a topic and deliver it to the class. It brought all staff together as well as wearing traditional dress added a fun element to so thoughtful and purposeful day. I would like to see more leadership and presentation examples in near future and cannot wait for teachers’ day celebration next year.”

Overall, the 3aaa Apprentices learnt a lot during the day and felt that it was a huge success:

Abdul Wahid Rob (Watford Academy – Splash Bathroom Accessories) “I had fun with my peers and it made me understand what teachers do and how it is to deliver a lesson. I felt pressured but it made me understand the importance of being prepared and how important it is to know your trade well.”

Lindsey Nisbett (Watford Academy – 1-2-1 Tax Accountants) “I understand how it feels when the class mess around and it’s harder than it looks. It will make me not talk so much during class and listen first time so Deepa does not have to repeat herself as it got annoying”.

Jamie Abbiss (Watford Academy – Numerous Payroll services) “I totally understand why I did this today and agree with the idea totally. I have always tried to show respect to teachers because they are valuable professionals and will try not to be distractive”.

Nathan Bull (Milton Keynes Academy – Jennings Accountancy) “I think that the ‘Teaching Day’ is a really good way in order to celebrate the profession and show our respect for the teachers that support us throughout our studies. I was unaware about teacher’s day, therefore I have come away with a better knowledge of it.”

Eoin Dineen (Milton Keynes Academy – Business Works) “During the Celebration of Teachers day, I have learnt how despite having a much smaller budget, India has a high success rate as well as there being many honour students. Also, there are many problems with facilities in Indian schools, as well as teachers not turning up to lessons, which is a barrier for their learning. There has been criticism in India that poorer families cannot afford private education, meaning they don’t have the same opportunities as children from richer families.”

Armando Ventola (Milton Keynes Academy – Bradshaw Johnson) “Something I have learnt from teacher’s day is that in Iran the day commemorates the assassination of a professor. I am going to take away from the day that we should respect and appreciate teacher’s hard work and best efforts.”

You’ll now find a 3aaa Academy in Bedford, Birmingham, Brighton, Bristol, Cambridge, Chelmsford, Derby, Leeds, Leicester, Liverpool, London, Manchester, Milton Keynes, Newcastle, Nottingham, Oxford, Sheffield, Tamworth and Watford.

We’ll soon be opening Academies in Croydon, Guildford, Maidstone, Northampton, Norwich, Reading, Southampton and Worcester.

If you’re an Employer looking to take on an Apprentice or a young person looking to take your first steps into an exciting career in IT, Social Media or Accounting get in touch with us today : 0844 504 3174

Here at 3aaa we are about to launch a brand new Framework in Technical Sales.

This Framework, which will prepare people for a career selling products and services in some of the most innovative companies in the country, will be delivered over the course of a year and will develop not only a sound understanding of Technology but also the sales skills and capabilities that Employers have told us that they are looking for in their sales teams.

Andy Palmer, Managing Director of 3aaa, said “This launch is a result of the feedback that we have received from many of the Employers who already work with us to find and develop their future talent through Apprenticeships.  They identified a real problem in finding and developing young people who might be the great sales people of the future and that this is having a real impact on the growth of their businesses”.

The Technical Sales Apprenticeship will be offered in the East Midlands and South Yorkshire from November this year – with a national roll out in 2015.

You’ll now find a 3aaa Academy in Bedford, Birmingham, Brighton, Bristol, Cambridge, Chelmsford, Derby, Leeds, Leicester, Liverpool, London, Manchester, Milton Keynes, Newcastle, Nottingham, Oxford, Sheffield, Tamworth and Watford.

We’ll soon be opening Academies in Croydon, Guildford, Maidstone, Northampton, Norwich, Reading, Southampton and Worcester.

If you are an Employer thinking about how to develop your sales team or a potential Apprentice looking for an opportunity to get into sales, contact us today : 0844 504 3174

On Tuesday 16th September, the 3aaa Nottingham Academy were delighted to welcome Paralympic Gold Medallist, Oliver Hynd MBE.

Oliver, who was born in Mansfield, shared his incredible journey and experiences with the Nottingham Apprentices explaining how he overcame a host of barriers to become a Paralympic Gold Medallist, beating numerous records in the process.

After starting swimming at the age of two, Oliver soon realised that it was his main passion in life and a few years later he started competing for his local club, Sutton Swimming Club. Shortly after starting swimming, Oliver was diagnosed with neuromuscular myopathy and associated limb deformities. Determined not to let it ruin his passion for swimming, Oliver used swimming to forget about his diagnosis and worked his hardest to follow his dreams.

As Oliver reached the age of 13 he stepped up his passion for swimming and put in the extra hours to realise his immense potential, despite things not going very with his health at this time.

After years and years of hard work and practice, Oliver won numerous European and World Championships, whilst also battling his condition along the way. Aged 17 years old, he then embarked on his dream as he was selected to compete at the Paralympic Games in London 2012, one of his proudest moments.

During the trials for the Paralympics he swam really well on the first day but then during the second day he slipped over and fractured his wrist and was worried that he wouldn’t be able to compete. For the next four weeks he got back up and swam with just one arm and then in the last week before the games he tried to swim with his fractured wrist. Oliver’s character was epitomised as he defied the odds once again, showing the passion and hard work to make sure that his dream did not slip away.

Oliver said “All of the early mornings and training was worth the moments of winning the medals and hearing the home crowd cheering me on. I have had to make sacrifices along the way by not going out with my friends and girlfriend but I had a goal and was determined to reach it. If you want the best performance then you have got to put the best fuel in. So everything you put into a job ensures that you get the best outcome. Coming to visit Apprentices is so special to me as I love seeing people reach their goals. “

After winning the Gold Medal in the SM8 200m individual medley, Oliver was awarded an MBE from Prince Phillip but played down his achievement by saying “I am just a normal guy who gave it my all”.

As the intrigued Nottingham Apprentices looked on keenly, Oliver then spoke about how his brother Sam Hynd, who is also a gold medallist and is now doing an Apprenticeship with British Gas and has recently been promoted within his role.

Oliver then posed for pictures and answered questions from the Nottingham Apprentices as they looked to learn more about his experiences. “He’s an inspiration and has made me think about setting a worthwhile goal that I can work towards.” said Olivia Johnson, 3aaa Apprentice.

Sophie Pilling, a 3aaa Social Media Apprentice went to Ashfield School with Oliver and they saw each other for the first time since they were younger.

The team at Nottingham Academy were delighted to welcome Oliver as he looked to inspire the Apprentices to follow their dreams. Stephen Wyer, 3aaa Nottingham Academy said “There is a lot of bad press about young people but Ollie goes completely against this. It was an honour to meet him and he was such a humble and lovely guy as well”.

Di McEvoy-Robinson, Director of 3aaa said “Oliver is an outstanding young man and is the only person to hold four swimming records at the same time. He has inspired all of our Nottingham IT and Social Media Apprentices with his story of success through adversity. His muscular dystrophy hasn’t got in the way or stopped him from achieving his goal. I feel very proud to have heard Ollie motivate and captivate our own young Apprentices”.

We recently announced the extension of the Apprenticeship programme that we deliver for Computacenter in the TRG line of their business.  This September and October more than 20 Apprentices will join Computacenter at locations across the country.  We’re delighted that the Apprentices who started the Computacenter Apprenticeship programme last year are doing so well and have now graduated to being fully qualified TRG Engineers.

Andrew Colbran has been a particular star of the Apprenticeship programme and his Apprenticeship journey has now been captured in a case study.  Have a read of this and if you’re interested in the Computacenter Apprenticeship programme or any of the other Apprenticeship roles for which we are now recruiting get in touch with us as soon as possible.

Andrew Colbran Case Study

You’ll now find a 3aaa Academy in Bedford, Birmingham, Brighton, Bristol, Cambridge, Chelmsford, Derby, Leeds, Leicester, Liverpool, London, Manchester, Milton Keynes, Newcastle, Nottingham, Oxford, Sheffield, Tamworth and Watford.

We’ll soon be opening Academies in Croydon, Guildford, Maidstone, Northampton, Norwich, Reading, Southampton and Worcester.

If you’re an Employer looking to take on an Apprentice or a young person looking to take your first steps into an exciting career in IT, Social Media or Accounting get in touch with us today : 0844 504 3174

In July, 3aaa achieved a significant milestone and now employ over 200 full time staff across the company. In total we currently employ 215 staff with more new staff joining us every week as we continue to open new Academies across the country.

Our staff at 3aaa are dedicated to supporting and stretching all of our Apprentices within their chosen programmes as we look to make a real difference to young people’s lives.

At 3aaa, we aim to ensure that all new employees share our passion for Apprenticeships and that they are dedicated to supporting our Apprentices every step of the way, ensuring that they have the best skills possible for their employers.

We are delighted to welcome all of our new starters to the business and encourage them to support their Apprentices to achieve beyond their own expectations and aspirations.

You’ll now find a 3aaa Academy in Bedford, Birmingham, Brighton, Bristol, Cambridge, Chelmsford, Derby, Leeds, Leicester, Liverpool, London, Manchester, Milton Keynes, Newcastle, Nottingham, Oxford, Sheffield, Tamworth and Watford.

We’ll soon be opening Academies in Croydon, Guildford, Maidstone, Northampton, Norwich, Reading, Southampton and Worcester.

If you’re an Employer looking to take on an Apprentice or a young person looking to take your first steps into an exciting career in IT, Social Media or Accounting get in touch with us today : 0844 504 3174

We are delighted to announce the date of our annual celebration awards reception for 2014. This year the celebration will take place on Thursday 4^th December at the prestigious House of Lords.

The Baroness Kennedy of the Shaws is our sponsor and is delighted to be our host for the day. A significant number of our Apprentices and Employers as well as some key politicians and stakeholders will also be joining us.

We will be celebrating our most successful Apprentices and Employers from across the country at our exclusive party on the Terrace overlooking the Thames, in what has been a fantastic year for 3aaa so far.

The awards were also held at the House of Lords two years ago. Dame Kelly Holmes was our special guest presenter for the day.

As we build up to the day, we will be sharing further exciting updates regarding the event. We will also be posting pictures of the event here on the 3aaa website after the event but if you want to follow what is happening live we will be posting regular update on our Facebook page and on Twitter.

Please ‘like’ us on Facebook www.facebook.com/3aaauk and follow us on Twitter @3aaa_uk

Further updates Coming Soon!

You’ll now find a 3aaa Academy in Bedford, Birmingham, Brighton, Bristol, Cambridge, Chelmsford, Derby, Leeds, Leicester, Liverpool, London, Manchester, Milton Keynes, Newcastle, Nottingham, Oxford, Sheffield, Tamworth and Watford.

We’ll soon be opening Academies in Croydon, Guildford, Maidstone, Northampton, Norwich, Reading, Southampton and Worcester.

If you’re an Employer looking to take on an Apprentice or a young person looking to take your first steps into an exciting career in IT, Social Media or Accounting get in touch with us today : 0844 504 3174