Celebrating Our Early Years Apprentices: Chloe and Louella’s BBC Radio Devon and Sky News Radio Interviews

National Apprenticeship Week 2025 has been an incredible celebration at Grandir UK. We are thrilled to share that two of our incredible apprentices, Chloe and Louella from Kiddi Caru Torquay, took centre stage and had the opportunity to share their inspiring journeys on BBC Radio Devon and SKY News Radio. Their stories highlighted their journey, experiences, and the invaluable impact of apprenticeships and how it’s helping to shape the future of Early Years education.

This blog will dive into the key takeaways from their discussions, top tips and what this means for future Early Years apprentices.

A platform to share their journey

These interviews provided Chloe and Louella with a fantastic platform to share how undergoing an Early Years apprenticeship with Grandir UK has completely transformed their budding careers – making it a perfect way to celebrate National Apprenticeship Week!

Louella’s journey

After finishing her non-childcare related A-Levels in 2023 Louella was still able to pursue a Grandir UK Early Years apprenticeship. Not only highlighting the accessibility of the programme, but also Grandir UK’s value of talented, passionate individuals. She joined Kiddi Caru Torquay in October 2024 and has been thriving in her role ever since, describing it as ‘the most rewarding job she’s ever done’. She went on to share that her favourite part of the role is witnessing the children progress and celebrating their milestones alongside their families. Alternatively, speaking to Sky News Radio, she praised the Early Years apprenticeship programme for ‘boosting her confidence and equipping her with essential skills – such as working with families, supporting children, and understanding their individual needs.’

Chloe’s perspective

Chloe, on the other hand, always knew she wanted to work with children. However, after finishing school, she didn’t feel ready to jump straight into a career. Instead, she spent seven years travelling before deciding the time was right to pursue her passion. This led her to the Grandir UK Early Years apprenticeship where she is now building a fulfilling career in childcare and gaining valuable skills. Expanding on what an apprentice’s day consists of, in the Sky News Radio interview she stated: “a lot of our day is centred around child focused activities; we help children develop their language and communication skills as well as their physical motor skills.”

At Grandir UK we believe that it is never too late to start an Early Years apprenticeship. Our programme is designed to be accessible to people of all ages, qualifications, and backgrounds, providing a flexible and supportive pathway for anyone passionate about making a difference in children’s lives.

You can listen to Chloe and Louella’s full BBC Radio Devon interview here (skip to 30:25) and their Sky News Radio interview here.

Growing interest in apprenticeship work

The incredible value of Early Years apprenticeships deserves more recognition, not just during the biggest week for national apprenticeships, but all year round! Chloe and Louella’s interviews on BBC Radio Devon and SKY News Radio are great exposure for this topic and are a shining example of how apprenticeships are shaping the future of childcare professionals in the industry.

Offering a blend of both practical and academic elements, apprenticeships provide the perfect opportunity for apprentices to gain hands-on nursery experience and gain fundamental EYFS knowledge alongside it. If you’re interested in learning more about how the Grandir UK Early Years apprenticeship works, visit our Apprenticeship Page to find out more about the programme, benefits, and how to apply.

The impact of Grandir UK early years apprenticeships

At Grandir UK, growing our own talent is one of our key philosophies. Apprentices like Chloe and Louella are provided with valuable hands-on nursery experience, access to a range of helpful resources, and strong support from skilled practitioners and our training provider, Realise, throughout their apprenticeship journe y. Additionally, Cathy Agozzino, Grandir UK’s Apprenticeship & Learner Co-ordinator, personalises the programme to accommodate and support individuals with diverse talents and abilities. Through these real-world learning opportunities that the programme provides, Grandir UK apprentices go on to have fulfilling, successful and long-lasting careers in Early Years education with leading employers. The first step is simply applying!

The Kiddi Caru pair credited their apprenticeship experience with boosting their confidence, fostering independence, and preparing them for the demands of working life. They also described the process of applying for the apprenticeship as straightforward and fast, great for those eager to kick start their Early Years career. Their enthusiasm and dedication to Early Years education truly resonated with listeners, offering a real-life glimpse into the benefits of pursuing an apprenticeship.

5 key points for those considering an early years apprenticeship

1. You don’t need a background in childcare: As Louella’s journey shows, you don’t need an academic background or experience in childcare to pursue an Early Years apprenticeship.
2. It’s never too late to start: Chloe’s story proves that you don’t need to be fresh out of school to do an Early Years apprenticeship, this flexible pathway is available to you whenever you’re ready.
3. Hands-on experience is invaluable: Apprenticeships provide a perfect mix of practical hands-on nursery experience and academic learning which is invaluable in progressing your career.
4. Support is always available: From skilled practitioners to dedicated training providers like Realise, you’ll have a strong network guiding you throughout your apprenticeship journey.
5. Applying is fast and straightforward: As mentioned by our Kiddi Caru apprentices, applying for the programme is fast and simple.

Looking ahead

As we move past National Apprenticeship Week 2025, we remain dedicated to supporting our apprentices and celebrating their amazing achievements all year round! We are incredibly proud of Chloe and Louella for sharing their experience on-air and grateful to BBC Radio Devon and SKY News Radio for providing them with the platform to do so.

Keep an eye out for upcoming articles and interviews featuring our apprentices, as well as more inspiring stories from our apprenticeship programme . You can also listen to our GrandPod –Apprenticeships with Cathy Agozzino episode here and our interview with Grandir UK CEO Lydia here to find out more about all things apprenticeships.