When Cellan Davies realised he wanted to undertake an Apprenticeship, moving away from his native Wales did not stand in his way, and he is now enjoying both a new job and a new home in Birmingham.

After he completed a graphic design course at college in his hometown of Swansea, 20-year-old Cellan knew that he didn’t want to go onto university, but instead develop his IT and graphic design skills in the workplace.

Cellan spotted an IT Apprenticeship being advertised through the National Apprenticeship Service at Solihull College and after applying and gaining an interview, he was offered the role of Social Media and Customer Service Administrator at Applecore Designs Limited, which he started in November.

Based in Alvechurch, Applecore Designs supplies integrated software solutions and services to the architecture and building industry. From 9 January 2012, the Company are also sales and distribution arm for the Graphisoft Building Information Modelling (BIM) product range in the UK, primarily for SME businesses.

Cellan comments: “I always knew that if I wanted to progress in my career I would have to look further afield for work, so moving to Birmingham has been an exciting experience rather than a scary one. I am really enjoying my Apprenticeship at Applecore Designs as I’m being able to learn a range of new skills, as well as use my creativity to support the business and move it forward. Studying at Solihull College one day a week is great for me as I have made lots of new friends and the teaching creates a nice balance between work and study and allows me to easily transfer my learning into the workplace.”

Being part of a dynamic and knowledgeable team, Cellan plays a key role at Applecore Designs and is responsible for handling the company’s social media platforms and graphic design work.

Cellan’s Line Manager and Director of Applecore Designs, Scott Berry, comments: “Cellan has settled in extremely well at Applecore and we are delighted to have him as part of the team. In this industry, one of the most effective ways to learn and develop the necessary skills is by actually doing the job, so the Apprenticeship is the perfect way to achieve this, as it allows Cellan to achieve industry-recognised qualifications at the same time.”

The Intermediate and Advanced Apprenticeships for IT Professionals at Solihull College are designed for learners to develop the skills, knowledge and competence required to become an IT professional in a wide range of job roles. As well as completing work-based units, students also study vendor units and industry recognised content from Microsoft, Cisco and CompTIA.