2008 Advanced Apprentice of the Year - Gemma Barrett - Carol's Cobs
Gemma Barrett
Advanced Apprentice of the Year
Employer – Carol’s Cobs
Learning provider – Charnwood Training Consultants
Gemma is walking towards Carol’s Cobs. She unlocks the door and goes inside.
Gemma says “Apprenticeship gave me the confidence to start the business, build it up from scratch. I used all my skills that I’d leant to do Rota’s, menus, there were all the computer skills, management, running the team, talking those through, how to do different things.”
Gemma and Anne are inside the shop looking at a newsletter.
Anne says “It was great to see Gemma open up her own business, especially so soon after completing her apprenticeship. It was a very brave step to take, what made it even better was that she was promoting apprenticeships by having all of her staff complete them as well.”
Gemma says “I felt very strongly about getting my staff onto apprenticeships, because I enjoyed doing it.”
Gemma is tidying plastic containers away onto shelves “I leant an awful lot. When the business was opened it was really organized, it was just the location of the shop just wasn’t at all right.” Gemma is now cleaning “Which made it a really difficult decision to close the business.”
Gemma and Anne can be seen going through Certificates
Anne says “Of course we were all really disappointed when Gemma shut down her shop. We felt it was a really mature decision, and she got out of it at the right time and we are really proud of her for attempting something. But we know that when she tries it again in the future she will learn from her mistakes and she’ll have a really successful business.”
Gemma brings in the large sandwich board from outside, and shuts the shop. You can see her handwritten note on the door stating the shop is closing and thanking all her customers.
Gemma says “I’m now working in a restaurant as a shift manager and then hopefully when they open the new store I will be promoted to the restaurant manager.”
Gemma Barrett, from Carol's Cobs, finalist for the Advanced Apprentice of the Year Award at the Apprenticeship Awards 2008