With more than 40 years of learning and development experience between them, Eric Gresswell and Mark Glanville founded Popcorn Learning Media in 2015. The forward-thinking creative media agency specialises in creating engaging eLearning that makes a commercial difference to the businesses they work with.
Popcorn Learning Media have been using NCFE’s standards to provide apprenticeships in Level 3 Team Leader Supervisor and Level 5 Operations and Department Manager.
We caught up with Karen Smith, Apprenticeships Administration Manager at Popcorn Learning Media to find out how working with us for the last 2 years for end-point assessment (EPA) has benefited them and their apprentices:
“Having no experience of being an admin support for a provider, I’ve been on a journey with apprenticeships and NCFE has helped support that journey every step of the way – from initial end-point assessment (EPA) set-up, to learners completing their EPA.
“We have excellent support from our Relationship Manager, Craig Miller. Craig is the main reason we’ve continued to work with NCFE. He’s always on hand to answer questions, he’s extremely knowledgeable and patient, and has a really effective way of communicating. I feel that with his support and the conversations we’ve had, my knowledge of apprenticeships has increased."
Karen also highlighted that the quality of our assessors is another reason for Popcorn Learning Media continuing to work with us. She said:
“We’ve been very happy with the assessors we’ve come into contact with through our previous EPA cohorts. Their communication is always organised, timely and responsive. Our previous learners had felt that the EPA process was scary; although we had prepared them with what to expect, they didn’t know what questions were going to be asked. However, the assessors had a lovely way about them and that put them at ease from the start, so the learners felt that brought out the best in them on the day. NCFE has been a great support to us, and we would highly recommend them to other providers.”
One of the provider’s Team Leader or Supervisor standard apprentices also shared their experience with our EPA team:
“As an apprentice, I found the whole journey a great experience. My EPA assessor was very professional. They could see I was nervous, and they really helped put me at ease. They were clear and concise with their questions, and if I didn’t understand a question, they asked it in a different way. They made the experience a positive one and I felt that contributed to successful completion of my apprenticeship.”
Find out more about our EPA solutions, and how we can support you and your apprentices to success.
The excellent support from our EPA Relationship Manager is the main reason we’ve continued to work with NCFE.
Craig Miller is NCFE’s Relationship Manager. His journey with education began 7 years ago when he began delivering apprenticeships. Craig was inspired to work in apprenticeships to improve people’s circumstances: “I truly believe they can be a more suitable alternative for some people than traditional further and higher education to start a new career.”
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Our Relationship Manager Kirsty Beresford was attracted to a career at NCFE due to our values and goals as an organisation. “The culture really appealed to me. I love that we have charity status and are very involved in lots of community projects around the Northeast.”
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Leanne Poole is our Senior Relationship Manager and was attracted to a career with NCFE because of our status as an educational charity, as well as being a leader in technical and vocational learning.
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