Apprentices impress Andrew Pakes MP

This week Andrew Pakes MP visited the Fashion Retail Academy at Electra House and met with our Principal, Lee Lucas and Director of Strategy & Funding Chris Amadeo.

They were joined by Fabiola Osei-Hwedieh, Head of Apprenticeships and Louis Clark, Head of Apprenticeship Development, from our sister division EFI Training.

Andrew is the Co-Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Apprenticeships, and was especially keen to speak with some of the apprentices studying at the Fashion Retail Academy.

The apprentices were taking part in a Functional Skills maths class with coach Vicki Fentiman. This an important element of an apprenticeship which helps anyone who has not achieved GCSE English or Maths to improve their skills and gain a qualification.

Lee and Andrew spoke to apprentices about which employers they were working for, how they discovered the programme and whether they felt that careers advice at school was helpful in signposting the apprenticeship route.

The tour of our new campus also took in the fifth floor Fashion Design wing, where Andrew spoke to lecturer Caroline Bose about what the second-year Level 3 Fashion Design students were working on. He also visited the Library and the Creative Lab on the third floor, where Level 3 Visual Communications & Styling students were creating zines with lecturer Rosie Coverini.  

Andrew and Lee also popped in to see a masterclass being given to Level 3 Fashion Retail students by FRA alumna Grace Downs, who since graduating 5 years ago has gone on to found her own social media agency, the Excelsior Collaborative.