Ryan was attending his local gym in Crewe when he spotted a vacancy for a Leisure Team Member Apprenticeship with Everybody Sport & Recreation based in Nantwich. He was at South Cheshire College at the time studying a L3 BTEC in Sport & Fitness Development.
As a regular gym goer, he already knew his way round a gym, but it was the broad range of knowledge he gained working as a lifeguard and the skills he learnt working on reception, which gave him the opportunity to interact with a diverse group of people, both customers and work colleagues, that really helped to build his confidence and people skills. “It was what I needed, it worked wonders for me and definitely one of the biggest things I took from the Apprenticeship, that and teaching in the pool” he told us. “I did the Pool Lifeguard course first and had watched the swim teachers when I was on shift, I was excited at going on the L2 Certificate in Teaching Swimming Course, I’ve always enjoyed swimming from a young age, so the prospect of teaching others to swim really intrigued me, I was pleased when I got the chance to go on the course and gain my qualification”
It must be something in the water at Everybody Sport & Recreation as Ryan, like his colleague Louise was also awarded distinction in his End Point Assessment, a testament to his dedication throughout his Apprenticeship, a fact not lost on his employer and work colleagues as he was nominated for and was awarded the Customer Hero of the Year Award, fantastic achievement Ryan well done from everyone at FLM Training.
Ryan was successful in gaining a fulltime contract at Nantwich where he’d completed his Apprenticeship but has more recently moved to the Crewe Leisure Centre which is bigger and Ryan hopes for more opportunity to progress his goal of becoming a Duty Manager. He’s already completed his Level 3 Health & Safety and 1st Aid at work qualifications and is booked on a Pool Plant Course in June 22.
“Apprenticeships are a fantastic route or alternative to university” he told us “the tutors at FLM Training were very good, and I’d definitely recommend them and Apprenticeships to anyone looking to progress”