If you think of school leavers when you think of apprentices, think again. Apprenticeships are far from limited to career starters, with new generation programmes tailor-made to bring out the best in accomplished managers
Virgin Active wanted to recruit more of its senior management population from within the business, in order to retain its best staff members
Making the most of your managers makes perfect sense: already demonstrating great skills and embodying your business values, why risk them taking their talents elsewhere? The Team Leader / Supervisor Level 3 Standard enables employers to upskill their best staff and keep them in the business
Leading the way Ahead of the curve is Virgin Active UK with over 100 colleagues – including sales managers, personal training managers, operations managers, group exercise managers and assistant general managers – studying the Team Leader Supervisor apprenticeship.
Offering this apprenticeship in a bid to recruit more of its senior management population from within the business, Virgin Active is working in close partnership with Active IQ to assess this qualification in small, phased groups.
Virgin territory Facing its first encounter with the End-point assessments process, Virgin Active UK turned to Active IQ for support. “Active IQ stood out for its impartiality and professionalism,” says Jeanette Hartley, Virgin Active UK apprenticeship manager. “The team demonstrated a rigorous process which, combined with its renowned integrity and reputation for excellence, helped shape our decision.
“We identified a skills gap among our management population and wanted to develop their knowledge, skills and behaviours,” explains Jeanette. “The transformation by the time they reach their Team Leader Supervisor End-point assessment is incredible to witness. Active IQ shares our ethos and values and brings a friendly, flexible approach, endless energy and complete commitment to tailoring the assessment for our managers.”
Train to retain “Our ultimate aim is to keep our best talent in our business by management progression from within Virgin Active,” says Jeanette. “This bespoke apprenticeship programme appeals strongly to talented managers looking to further their career.” Both employers and apprentices gain from this approach, as the apprentice brings improved ability to their day-to-day job, while locking in their new skills through using them at work.
Begin with the end in mind “Apprenticeships have evolved considerably over the last few years, with more in-depth content and more challenging assessments,” explains Jenny Patrickson, Active IQ managing director. “Knowing what's expected at the End-point Assessment at the beginning of the process is vital, as the first successful Virgin Active cohort has shown.
"We developed Apprentice and Employer Toolkits when we recognised the need for focused support to navigate the changing landscape of apprenticeship delivery and assessment.”
Oliver Bloom
Assistant General Manager, Virgin Active Tower Bridge
Oliver Bloom
Oliver started as a member services manager at Virgin Active Aldersgate in 2016 and progressed to operations manager at the Broadgate club before being promoted to assistant general manager at Tower Bridge. “I learned a huge amount on the programme," he says, "not least of which was how to adapt my natural style and look at different ways of doing things. There was plenty of guidance and the Active IQ Toolkits helped pushed me to achieve a certain level of work, preparing me well for a successful End-point Assessment.
I’m now ready to fulfil a general manager role within Virgin Active UK.”
Elsa Orler,
Assistant General Manager, Virgin Active Mayfair
Elsa Orler
Elsa joined Virgin Active in September 2016 following six years’ experience at Tonic Fitness Network in her native Italy. She started as service and operations manager at Virgin Active Barbican before moving to Mayfair as assistant general manager. “The Team Leader Supervisor Apprenticeship really developed my knowledge and expanded my management skills," she says. "Taking my learning straight into work and putting it into practice brought it to life for me and the Active IQ assessment resources were a great help.
"This apprenticeship has broadened my horizons and given me the tools and confidence I need for the next step in my career.”
An opportunity to reimagine one of the UK’s most recognisable towers has been formally
opened by Rivington Hark, as St Johns Beacon invites operators and partners to shape its
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If you think of school leavers when you think of apprentices, think again. Apprenticeships are far from limited to career starters, with new generation programmes tailor-made to bring out the best in accomplished managers
Virgin Active wanted to recruit more of its senior management population from within the business, in order to retain its best staff members
Making the most of your managers makes perfect sense: already demonstrating great skills and embodying your business values, why risk them taking their talents elsewhere? The Team Leader / Supervisor Level 3 Standard enables employers to upskill their best staff and keep them in the business
Leading the way Ahead of the curve is Virgin Active UK with over 100 colleagues – including sales managers, personal training managers, operations managers, group exercise managers and assistant general managers – studying the Team Leader Supervisor apprenticeship.
Offering this apprenticeship in a bid to recruit more of its senior management population from within the business, Virgin Active is working in close partnership with Active IQ to assess this qualification in small, phased groups.
Virgin territory Facing its first encounter with the End-point assessments process, Virgin Active UK turned to Active IQ for support. “Active IQ stood out for its impartiality and professionalism,” says Jeanette Hartley, Virgin Active UK apprenticeship manager. “The team demonstrated a rigorous process which, combined with its renowned integrity and reputation for excellence, helped shape our decision.
“We identified a skills gap among our management population and wanted to develop their knowledge, skills and behaviours,” explains Jeanette. “The transformation by the time they reach their Team Leader Supervisor End-point assessment is incredible to witness. Active IQ shares our ethos and values and brings a friendly, flexible approach, endless energy and complete commitment to tailoring the assessment for our managers.”
Train to retain “Our ultimate aim is to keep our best talent in our business by management progression from within Virgin Active,” says Jeanette. “This bespoke apprenticeship programme appeals strongly to talented managers looking to further their career.” Both employers and apprentices gain from this approach, as the apprentice brings improved ability to their day-to-day job, while locking in their new skills through using them at work.
Begin with the end in mind “Apprenticeships have evolved considerably over the last few years, with more in-depth content and more challenging assessments,” explains Jenny Patrickson, Active IQ managing director. “Knowing what's expected at the End-point Assessment at the beginning of the process is vital, as the first successful Virgin Active cohort has shown.
"We developed Apprentice and Employer Toolkits when we recognised the need for focused support to navigate the changing landscape of apprenticeship delivery and assessment.”
Oliver Bloom
Assistant General Manager, Virgin Active Tower Bridge
Oliver Bloom
Oliver started as a member services manager at Virgin Active Aldersgate in 2016 and progressed to operations manager at the Broadgate club before being promoted to assistant general manager at Tower Bridge. “I learned a huge amount on the programme," he says, "not least of which was how to adapt my natural style and look at different ways of doing things. There was plenty of guidance and the Active IQ Toolkits helped pushed me to achieve a certain level of work, preparing me well for a successful End-point Assessment.
I’m now ready to fulfil a general manager role within Virgin Active UK.”
Elsa Orler,
Assistant General Manager, Virgin Active Mayfair
Elsa Orler
Elsa joined Virgin Active in September 2016 following six years’ experience at Tonic Fitness Network in her native Italy. She started as service and operations manager at Virgin Active Barbican before moving to Mayfair as assistant general manager. “The Team Leader Supervisor Apprenticeship really developed my knowledge and expanded my management skills," she says. "Taking my learning straight into work and putting it into practice brought it to life for me and the Active IQ assessment resources were a great help.
"This apprenticeship has broadened my horizons and given me the tools and confidence I need for the next step in my career.”
Hotel de France, located on the British Isle of Jersey, has created a wellness retreat package
that includes a hot yoga session that will take place in Jersey Zoo’s butterfly sanctuary.
A new immersive attraction designed to transport visitors into the final hours of ancient Pompeii
is preparing to open near the world-famous archaeological site in southern Italy.
Experience design company, BRC Imagination Arts, has completed a transition that sees founder
Bob Rogers pass ownership of the business to four long-serving senior executives, while
remaining actively involved with the company.
Movie Park Germany has opened a new Paramount Pictures-themed attraction as part of its 30th
anniversary celebrations, using immersive storytelling and adaptive reuse to reinforce the park’s
longstanding “Hollywood in Germany” positioning.
Therme Manchester’s 28-acre development, which will include interconnected glass pavilions
that measure 65,000sq m, will be the largest bathing and wellbeing attraction in the world once
complete, according to prof David Russell, CEO of Therme UK.
Efteling has opened Hooghmoed, a new family drop tower designed to broaden the appeal of its
recently launched Sirene Island themed area and introduce younger visitors to thrill attractions.
A proposed Puy du Fou development near Bicester and Universal Destinations and Experiences’
planned resort in Bedford are emerging as part of a wider transformation of the Oxford–
Cambridge Growth Corridor into a major centre for UK leisure and tourism inv
Shedd Aquarium has opened the Immersion Theater developed in partnership with SimEx-
Iwerks, as part of a wider strategy to enhance the guest experience and create additional
revenue opportunities.
The UK government has announced a temporary reduction in VAT on visitor attractions and
children’s meals as part of a summer cost-of-living support package designed to stimulate the
visitor economy and encourage family days out.
As designer Yinka Ilori prepares for his first solo gallery show in London, he speaks exclusively
to CLADmag about his mission to spread joy, the power of play, and his bold approach to using
colour (including the colours you won’t see in his work).
The government of Thailand is exploring plans for a THB300bn (£6.3bn, US$8.3bn)
entertainment complex in the country’s Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC), with officials
proposing a large-scale theme park and sports destination as part of a broader tourism and
economic development strategy.
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