Allie Le, People and Culture Manager at F&F Stores Ltd, says that the company’s partnership with MK College is helping them build future talent and deliver it social responsibility goals.

Founded in 2015, F&F Stores is a rapidly expanding E-commerce business based in Milton Keynes. Allie explains that the company started working with MK College just over 12 months ago.

“I arranged a meeting with MK College and it was so valuable for us. After that meeting, we organised an in-house Multiply maths training course to support our warehouse team. Multiply is a government-funded programme that helps adults improve their numeracy skills. Many of our team members don’t hold formal qualifications, so this training was particularly useful given their work with stock inventory. The feedback on the tutors was that they were very supportive.”

The company has since gone on to offer industry placements to T Level students. “We’ve had three T Level students join us since September last year, in different departments. After their 45-day placements with us, we received lots of good feedback from our managers.”

Allie highlights several key benefits to the partnership with MK College. “Firstly it’s an opportunity to enhance our visibility in the community and with young talent for the future,” she said. “Secondly, it benefits our existing employees through training and apprenticeships. Finally it’s about social responsibility – we want to support the community, and we’re especially passionate about working with MK College to give students work experience. It’s often difficult for young people to get these kinds of opportunities.”

When asked why they chose to partner with MK College, Allie said: “There are two main reasons – one is location, but the other is the support and responsiveness of the college. They are very proactive in contacting employers to create opportunities for students. I’ve visited the campus many times and it’s very inspiring. We’re pleased to play a small part in supporting students and the college on this journey.”

“We recently got involved by sponsoring MK College’s 2025 Student of the Year Award for English and Maths, which was a brilliant way to show our support for education and young talent. We really enjoyed the recent employer showcase too – it was a great reminder of how businesses like ours can help young people get started in their careers. Doing things like this is part of how we show our commitment to the local community, and it feels genuinely meaningful for everyone involved.”

The business also supports apprenticeships. “We have an apprentice working with us as an accounts assistant, studying and working at the same time. In just over a year, I’ve seen the benefits of this partnership.”

The company is also exploring new ways to support a diverse range of learners. “We’re now running another placement with a student who has additional learning needs as a trial, and in the future, we’d like to expand this.”

Reflecting on their experience with MK College she added: “It’s all gone well – fantastic! The college responds very quickly to any questions we have. If any issues come up, we can sort them out together. They’re always supportive.”

When asked what advice she would give to other employers considering working with MK College, Allie said: “Working with a local college is very beneficial for small and medium-sized businesses. We don’t have a big budget, so the partnership is very helpful for both sides. For us, we’ve chosen this path and we believe it works. Just start with a conversation with the employer engagement team – see what opportunities they can offer.”

To find out more about offering work placements through MK College, contact the Work Experience Team at: workexperienceteam@mkcollege.ac.uk

Faced with an ageing workforce and increasing recruitment challenges, Cerulean is tackling the skills gap head-on. Through a long-term partnership with MK College. The company has embedded apprenticeships and now T Level industry placements into its workforce strategy – and is already seeing the benefits. 

Based in Milton Keynes, Cerulean is a manufacturing company that supplies precision test and measurement equipment for the tobacco industry.  

Claire Millsop, HR Business Partner, explains that the company has worked closely with MK College for several years, particularly in the recruitment and training of apprentices, to help address the engineering skills gap. 

“We started off with apprentices. Over the last eight years, they’ve been key to our business, especially in the last five, where we’ve really focused on it. We became part of the 5% Club because we felt it was important to show our commitment to ‘earn while you learn’ schemes. This was in direct response to the reality we were facing – an ageing workforce in engineering. The average age of our engineers was 50, and it was getting harder to find the right skills externally. So, we realised we needed to invest heavily in apprenticeships. We began in engineering and have since expanded into marketing, finance, and IT.” 

The company recently extended its support to include T Level industry placements, although this wasn’t originally part of the plan.  

“We’re part of the MAKE UK federation and take part in events like Manufacturing Day. We decided to open our doors to students from MK College to show them what we do. One of the attendees, Abdul, approached us afterwards to ask about a T Level placement. To be honest, we had initially rejected the idea of taking T Level students. We thought it was impractical to have someone come in just one day a week. But we liked him, he presented himself well, and we knew what he could do. So we decided to give him an opportunity.” 

The experience turned out to be overwhelmingly positive. “T Levels are a great opportunity to bring in young professionals. If you can, then go on to offer an apprenticeship at a higher level, like Level 4, it’s definitely worth considering. We’re hoping to keep Abdul on. He’s fitted in incredibly well and has been a real pleasure to have on the team. I’ve heard nothing but praise about him. One of the big differences with T Levels is the academic standard. It’s noticeably strong.” 

Beyond recruitment, the partnership also supports the company’s wider community values. 

“For us, as an employer, it’s important to give back to the community. The partnership with MK College gives us the chance to do that – whether it’s through attending careers events or helping students understand the kinds of careers we offer. We really value having that relationship with a local education organisation.” 

When asked what advice she would give to other employers, Claire said: “I think it’s essential to give the college the chance to really understand your business. We always invite people in to look around, meet key stakeholders, and get to grips with the skills we’re looking for. I highly recommend investing that time. It enables a much more successful recruitment and training process in the long term. It has to be a long-term relationship; it can’t be a quick fix. If you take that approach, you’re missing the bigger picture.” 

To find out more about offering work placements through MK College, contact the Work Experience Team at: workexperienceteam@mkcollege.ac.uk  

Gemma Ford, Learning and Development Manager at BSH, says that offering T Level industry placements to engineering students through MK College is a key way to help young people prepare for the world of work.

The company, which has its UK headquarters in Milton Keynes, is responsible for sales and marketing across the UK and the Republic of Ireland for home appliance brands such as Bosch, Siemens and Neff.

Gemma explains that the company has worked with MK College for many years through its apprenticeship programme but was introduced to T Levels more recently.

“For students going into the workplace for the first time, it can be quite daunting,” she said. “Offering a T Level industry placement helps make it feel less scary. It’s a huge leap to go from school into the workplace, but by doing a T Level – having that day a week in the workplace – students are set up really positively for the future. They get a real sense of what their chosen career will be like.”

On why they chose to partner with MK College, Gemma said: “Our head office is in Milton Keynes so it makes perfect sense to work with the college. We’ve built a great relationship – they’re always our first point of call. The college is local, so students can access face-to-face training, which provides a better learning environment for them.”  

Talking about the college’s experience of supporting employers, she added: “I find everyone at the college easy to work with. We have regular catch-ups every six to eight weeks, and the support has been excellent. Our managers receive regular updates, and I’m also kept informed about how the students are progressing. If I ever have a question, I can just send an email and I always get a quick response. They’re really helpful.”

When asked what advice she would give to other employers considering offering T Level placements, Gemma said: “I’d say we went into it with the mindset of ‘let’s give it a go’ and see how it works. A good starting point is simply getting a student in – let them shadow your team, just get them through the door. Sometimes all a student needs at the beginning is to know where the café is! The basics really matter at first – and from there, it’s easy to build up their confidence and experience.”

To find out more about offering work placements through MK College, contact the Employer Team at: employerteam@mkcollege.ac.uk

Milton Keynes College Group celebrated its employer partners at its Employer Thank You Event last month. The event on 20th May gave the College Group an opportunity to express a heartfelt thanks to many of its partners, including stakeholders at local, regional and national levels. 

The event reinforced the mutual importance of our partners and organisation, showcased what the College does and how our employer partners can continue to support and get involved in other areas – such as work placements and apprenticeships. 

Our partners contribute to the rich experiences we offer to our apprentices, full-time students, part-time adult learners and colleagues. Our partners bring the skills, knowledge and drive needed to inspire everyone across our campuses, whether in Milton Keynes or our prison education network, and they are essential to our mission.

The event welcomed people from across various sectors, including representatives from John Lewis, F & F Stores, Routeco and Aiimi. The event provided an opportunity for networking and fostering a sense of belonging to the Group, allowing employer partners to share their experiences and motivations for working with us. 

College Group representatives were able to highlight areas of our work that employers may not have been aware of before, including the diversity of our curriculum offer, our work within the community, and how delivering Fairer Futures is central to everything we do. 

Caroline Indge, Head of Partnerships and Innovation at Milton Keynes College Group and one of the event’s organisers, said: “Thank You are two powerful words – it carries a lot of weight for such a simple phrase. It has the power to celebrate, acknowledge and appreciate, and it can improve feelings of value and belonging.

“In some cases, this type of appreciation event can even create a deeper connection between people – it’s a little reminder that their actions truly matter.

“At Milton Keynes College Group we are fortunate to work with a number of businesses and organisations who bring great value to our learners’ journey.” 

If you would like to find out more about becoming an employer partner with Milton Keynes College Group, read more here.

T Level placements are opening doors – for students and departments – at this leading STEM university.

Cranfield University is a postgraduate-only university in Bedfordshire, specialising in science, engineering, and management. In recent years, the University has opened its doors to T Level students from MK College.

Maria Levet, Talent & Development Co-ordinator and T Level Lead at Cranfield University, explained: “We’ve been employing apprentices for many years across a range of programmes, including engineering, IT, and science. In 2024, we piloted our first industry placement with a T Level student from the Science Laboratory programme. The placement was a great success, and we’ve since hosted four students from the Engineering and Manufacturing T Level programme.

“People across the University are starting to understand what T Level placements are and are curious about how they support our work. We’re currently working on an administration and business placement for Autumn 2025 and hopefully another science one too.”

Having joined the University in 2022, Maria has been working closely with MK College and specifically on T Level placements since 2024. “The placement team has been excellent. They’re always responsive and supportive whenever I’ve had questions. It’s also been a pleasure to welcome members of their team to campus for progress meetings and to show them the facilities the students will be using.”

The partnership builds on a pre-existing relationship between the two institutions. “We chose MK College because there was already an established relationship through apprenticeships. Their provision really aligns with our requirements in STEM subjects, they provide excellent support to employers, and their students are based locally, which makes it easier for them to get to our campus. It just felt like a natural step to keep working with the same provider.”

Maria is clear about the mutual benefits of hosting T Level students. “It’s great that the University is supporting these placements. How else would young adults understand that universities are workplaces and find out what we do at Cranfield? This gives them a chance to see behind the scenes of a university as a workplace.”

“The T level students have also been a great resource to the departments. The line managers know they need to offer something structured and meaningful. It has to work for both sides – for the student and for the team. So far, it’s been great. The students have come in, picked things up quickly, and asked all the right questions.”

Her advice to other employers? “Definitely do it! If you’re already thinking about it, then it’s likely to work. Once you’ve got the right guidance in place and done all your checks, such as insurance, risk assessments, safeguarding, it’s actually really easy and straightforward.

“The College helps a lot with setting everything up and there is helpful guidance available from the government to help you through it. Just allow yourself the time to prepare properly. Treat the first one as a pilot placement, then reflect and implement improvements each time.  The college, student and line manager will always hold an end-of-placement review to look at what worked, what we could improve, and to learn from it.”

To find out more about offering work placements through MK College, contact the Employer Team at: employerteam@mkcollege.ac.uk

“We’ve always had a regular apprenticeship programme in place, but the launch of T Levels in construction at high school senior level offered us a great opportunity to welcome young adults into the workplace even earlier,” said Sooren. “We’ve had a student with us for 10 months now, and we’re getting really good feedback from the college. It’s something we’d like to expand.”

In addition to hosting a student placement, the company has supported the college in other ways. “We have a precast plant in Luton where we can offer live demonstrations of full-scale concrete works in a controlled, lower-risk environment. The college has taken us up on this with future planned visits, and we’ve also hosted them at our head office for a comprehensive tour.”

The relationship is already off to a strong start. “So far, our engagement has been very positive,” said Sooren. “The college’s remit – to better prepare young people for industry and help them understand what’s out there – really aligns with our values. Their curriculum is holistic, and we were impressed by their facilities, labs, and access to resources. They’ve created a space that really appeals to young minds, keeping things engaging and relevant.”

For Ground Construction Ltd, investing in the next generation is part of the company’s DNA.

“The construction industry has always had a skills shortage. T Levels are a brilliant way to get young people interested early. Work placements teach so many life skills – it’s important that students know what to expect and are better prepared when they enter the workplace.

“Growth and development are core values for us, and we’re proud of our social responsibility. Supporting and encouraging students to join the industry helps promote who we are, futureproofs our workforce, and is part of our succession planning.”

On the support from the college, Sooren said: “We’re pleased with how structured the process is. Monitoring of progress is strong, and communication has been great. The placement advisers carried out a full HSE assessment, and we’ve had regular check-ins to evaluate how things are going.”

When asked what advice they’d give to other employers, Sooren said: “Make sure you have a proper structure and development pathway in place. Maintain ongoing dialogue with the college. T Level programmes depend on employers offering placements. If we want to secure the future of our industry, we need to invest in young people at an even earlier age and this is one of the best ways to nurture that talent. It’s a question that answers itself and enhances our succession plan for the industry.”

To find out more about offering work placements through MK College, contact the Employer Team at: employerteam@mkcollege.ac.uk

Milton Keynes College Group celebrated its apprentices completing their courses, with a graduation event on Thursday 27^th February at the Ridgeway Centre in Milton Keynes.  

The event saw 40 apprentices covering a wide range of courses including Digital, Business, Finance and Construction collect their course certificates, supported by friends, family and their employers. The event was also attended by Milton Keynes Mayor Marie Bradburn and Deputy Lord Lieutenant of Buckinghamshire, Judge Tony Hughes and included performances from Milton Keynes College students Luca Brown and Ella Boetang. 

Awards were also given to apprentices who had gone above and beyond during their time with their employers and the College. The awards were presented by Anna Clarke, Head of Employer Engagement and Partnerships, Sally Alexander, CEO and Group Principal and Sarah Thompson, Head of Apprenticeships, and were given to the following apprentices: 

• Business Award – Ellen Gibbons (Superior Homecare Services Limited) 

• Commis Chef Award – Finnan Keen (Silverstone Circuits) 

• Construction Award – Ben Hambridge (Heyford Park Developments Ltd, part of Dorchester Living) 

• Digital Award – Tamzin Bedford (Toru Interactive Ltd) 

• Engineering Award – Alex Digby (Stokvis Tapes UK Ltd) 

• Finance Award – Samuel Ward-Butler (Panton Accountancy Services Ltd) 

• Hair Professional Award – Vanessa Graziano (Aloha Hair) 

• Inspirational Award  – Kian Hall (Parrott Construction Ltd) 

• Rising Star Award – Mia Hammer (Oracle Red Bull Racing) 

• Contribution Award – Kai Murdoch (Taylor Wimpey South Midlands) 

Charlotte Parkinson, graduating Marketing Apprentice from Aztech IT, commented: “Since completing my apprenticeship through MK College, I’m now a Marketing Executive at Aztec IT. I found the apprenticeship amazing – coming out of university, it was great to go into the outside world straight away. My employer and Milton Keynes College have both been amazing and I’m very happy to be graduating.” 

College Group CEO, Sally Alexander, added: “Our Apprenticeship Graduation event is about recognising the talent in our wonderful graduates like Charlotte, celebrating them and giving them an opportunity to be extremely proud of themselves.  

“Milton Keynes College Group is driven by our Fairer Futures Strategy, which highlights our commitment to delivering aspirational educational programmes, which I know our graduates will all have experienced. We are delighted to have supported our apprentices to develop the skills which are needed within our communities and will support the growth of businesses across the city.  

“We’re very proud of everything our apprentices have achieved, and we wish them the best of luck as they move into the next stage of their very exciting careers”. 

You can find out more about apprenticeship at MK College here Apprenticeships – MK College 

To mark National Apprenticeship Week, MK College Group are showcasing the business benefits of taking on an apprentice.

Companies who want to hire more people but feel priced out of the market by the increase in National Insurance Contributions (NICs) should think about taking on an apprentice and moulding a new staff member for the long term.

Under 25s on apprenticeships earning less than £50,000 per year are exempt from NICs contributions, meaning employers can take on and train people to meet their skills needs.

Anna Clarke, Group Director for Employer Engagement and Partnerships at Milton Keynes College says, “Since the budget we’ve seen a bit of nervousness from some employers when it comes to taking people on because of the increased NICs costs, which is quite understandable when times are tight.  It’s been particularly noticeable in areas like finance and business administration.  What a lot of them don’t realise is that Under 25s are now exempt from NICs, and working with us they can help to shape a young person’s career while embedding them in their own business culture.  Apprentices can bring creativity, energy and new ideas to a business which can make them ideal additions to any team.”

10^th to 16^th of February is National Apprenticeship Week, and this year’s theme is “Skills for Life,” and Anna believes the business-facing apprenticeships offered by the College provide just that.

“The key thing is,” Anna says, “that we can shape the apprenticeship to teach precisely the skills that an employer needs.  For example, if project management is needed, we’ll work through real-life situations that come directly from the employer so the apprentice learns not just about the method, but also the practical reality of how the business works.”

Amelia Peppard is doing an apprenticeship in Business Administration at Huntsmill Farm, the idyllic wedding venue at Shalstone near Milton Keynes.  She says, “I’ve always known I wanted to work in the events industry.  However, being young, I lacked experience and had limited business knowledge. Through this apprenticeship, I have gained valuable skills for the workplace, acquired essential business knowledge, and become familiar with various platforms. This apprenticeship has also supported my personal growth, making me much more confident in my current team and in my communication with different suppliers and couples.”

Emily Fensome is Wedding and Events Manager at Huntsmill Farm, and says, “Hiring Amelia as our first apprentice has been such a rewarding and positive experience.  Not only have we been able to nurture an employee with little experience into a core team member but also take pride in watching Amelia thrive in skills, ability, and confidence.  In an industry where little employment is given to those who don’t have experience, it was great to be able to offer a young individual the opportunity to gain that experience alongside continuing studies.  We would highly recommend the apprenticeship programme to any business that would like to grow with the next generation becoming team players.”

To find out more about taking on an apprentice at your business, please contact employerteam@mkcollege.ac.uk