Luke Pollard MP visiting Tops Stonehouse for National Apprenticeship Week

As part of National Apprenticeship Week, Luke Pollard MP visited Tops Stonehouse to meet with apprentices, celebrate their achievements, and present them with special gifts in recognition of their dedication to early years education.

During his visit, Luke joined the children and staff in the nursery, reading a story to the little ones.

He also had the chance to meet and speak with several of the apprentices, currently training through Aspire Training Team, a specialist early year training provider, including Zsuzsanna Lazar, a Level 3 Early Years Educator, Aimee Hawton, a Level 3 Early Years Educator, and Leah Reed, a Level 3 Business Apprentice. The apprentices shared their roles and the valuable experience their apprenticeships provide.

He also had a great discussion with Paula Bone, Trainer at Aspire, about the importance of investing in early years education and ensuring that apprentices are well-supported as they gain the qualifications needed to shape the next generation.

Paula Bone, Trainer at Aspire Training Team, said: “It was a pleasure to welcome Luke Pollard MP to Tops Stonehouse for National Apprenticeship Week. It was a fantastic opportunity to showcase the invaluable work we do with our apprentices and gain his support for early years education and training.”

Luke Pollard MP, said: “It was amazing being at Tops meeting the apprentices and seeing the way apprenticeships not only change the apprentices’ lives but also the children’s lives. In Plymouth there is an abundance of apprenticeships in engineering and infrastructure because of the nature of our city. However, I hope this shows that there is an apprenticeship scheme for every sector. That’s why this government is committing to a Skills Guarantee for all adults aged 18-21 which will increase the number of people taking up apprenticeships and ensuring skills gaps in our workforce are addressed in part by more people completing apprenticeships in various sectors.”

Tops Day Nurseries is an award-winning childcare provider that offers flexible early education and care for children aged 3 months to school age. With over 30 nurseries across the South and Southwest, Tops is committed to sustainability, high-quality education, and professional development within the sector.

Aspire Training Team is a specialist training provider delivering early years apprenticeship programmes across the Southwest of England. Working with over 200 childcare providers, Aspire offers innovative training solutions that integrate sustainability and best practices to support apprentices and employers in the sector.