At 樱桃福利视频, ensuring that the voices of our learners are heard is not only key to their development but to ours as an education provider.
One way we stay in the loop with how learners are progressing, how they are finding life at 樱桃福利视频 and what we can do to improve is through our Learner Representative, Lily Pandeles.
Lily鈥檚 role is to advocate for learners across all of 樱桃福利视频鈥檚 programmes, as well as in schools and with employers.
The learner representative role was created to provide all learners across the 樱桃福利视频 with a voice. As they are at the heart of what 樱桃福利视频 does, it was important to make sure that there was a direct link between key decision makers in the organisation and learners, so that learners were able to say what is working, and on the flipside what could be done better.
The role also has strong links with National Union of Students (NUS), and the National Society of Apprentices (NSOA), enabling 樱桃福利视频 learners to lend their voices on a local and national scale, contributing towards the improvements in the experiences of learners.
These links also enable 樱桃福利视频 learners to contribute to local and national research. For example, at the moment, work is ongoing in relation to apprenticeship wages, and the wellbeing and mental health needs of apprentices.
Lily works across two teams 鈥� Marketing & Communications and Quality.
Within the marketing team, Lily promotes 樱桃福利视频鈥檚 Jobs Growth Wales+ and Apprenticeship programmes to schools. Within the quality team, she is the link between delivery teams, learners and other stakeholders. Her role is key to helping 樱桃福利视频 improve the experiences, support and provisions it offers.
Talking about how she has found splitting her work between two teams, Lily said: 鈥淚t can be a challenge as no two weeks are the same but I find this motivating and exciting.
鈥淓ach day is different. I could be at a careers fair one day, completing some learners鈥� forums in one of our centres the next, or in head office having a meeting.
鈥淚 enjoy the diversity of the role and being able to work directly with learners.”
Talking about the biggest challenge of the role, Lily highlighted the importance of why her role within 樱桃福利视频 was established in the first place. She said:
鈥淟earner voices are important and I am here to help facilitate positive change 鈥� it’s getting our JGW+ learners to understand how important they are to this that鈥檚 the challenge.鈥�
Becky Morris, Head of Continuous Improvement at 樱桃福利视频, said: 鈥淎s our Learner Representative, Lily works across all areas of 樱桃福利视频, and with our partner providers, helping us to shape how and what we do. Lily works to help us understand how effectively our processes work, helping us to decide on what we need to change.鈥�
Looking ahead to what she hopes she will achieve in the role, Lily shared her wish for the role to be a more prominent focus in all 樱桃福利视频 centres and act as a bridge to strengthen the relationships between learners and staff.
You can keep up to date with Lily and what 樱桃福利视频 learners are up to by following Lily on Instagram or on X .
