London Apprenticeship Company

During Apprenticeship Week (February 2011), eighteen year old Ezekiel Erinoso, a Hackney resident, was recognised by the Deputy Mayor of London, Richard Barnes, for being an inspiration to other young people and for his contribution to the work of the London Apprenticeship Company (LAC).

Living in Hackney for almost all of his life, Ezekiel attended St John and St James Primary School, followed by Hackney Free and Parochial Secondary School, where he was appointed Head-boy; Ezekiel humbly attributes this work ethic and determination to growing up in Hackney:
 

“I’ve been a Hackney resident for 15 years now. Growing up in Hackney has definitely contributed to the development of my character and positive attitude. After my friend, Jahmal Mason-Blair, died after being stabbed, I became even more determined to do well and fly the flag for Hackney, just as he did with his talent for football. A lot of the time the media fails to project the talent that is produced here, which is a shame, yet they are quick to report the negative things.”

Ezekiel is now employed by LAC as Project Assistant apprentice after successfully completing LAC’s Pre-Apprenticeship programme. Ezekiel has proven relentless in his capabilities within the Operations Team and beyond, his enthusiasm and hard work have gained him a reputation for being one of the most dependable and professional apprentices LAC has ever had!

Ezekiel has successfully prepared and delivered presentations to professionals from different organisations on youth un-employment and the importance of tackling this issue. Working collaboratively with London Transport Museum, Ezekiel also delivered motivational presentations to young people who have been permanently excluded from school, encouraging them to stay in education or training, so as to broaden employment opportunities later on in life. Not only flying the flag for Hackney’s Youth, but acting as an ambassador for all of London’s young people!

Currently Ezekiel is embarking on several new projects, which his position at LAC will enable him to pursue, including a media project, supported by London Transport Museum.

At a London Apprenticeship Company event, hosted on 8th February as part of Apprenticeship Week, Ezekiel used his networking talents to help establish important relationships with senior members of staff from the GLA, including Richard Barnes, Deputy Mayor of London and Tim Campbell, advisor to the Mayor on Apprenticeships. As a result he has been invited to meet with the GLA Outreach team at the Mayor’s Office in the near future.

LAC suspects there may be a lot more to come from Hackney’s Ezekiel. LAC’s CEO Jeremy Hempstead said:

“Ezekiel is an attribute to LAC. He is mature, shows initiative, and is always ready to support the team wherever possible. He is able to communicate clearly and articulately, and has now represented LAC at a number of events both delivering presentations and utilising his exceptional networking skills. In sum, Ezekiel offers all that any employer would want from an apprentice.”

Notes to Editor

1. The London Apprenticeship Company is a not for profit organisation dedicated to increasing the number of apprenticeships in London and reducing youth unemployment.  In the past, apprenticeship schemes have been a good idea in principle but in practice very hard to administer, the LAC ‘Hosting’ model is so simple you wonder why it was ever done any other way. The LAC employs the apprentice on behalf of a host company and as a result, takes away all the hassles of recruitment. They organise the training element, offer a full mentoring service for the apprentices and get them prepared for the job they are interested in doing.

2. The London Apprenticeship Company is supported by: London Development Agency, National Apprenticeship service, Westminster City Council, Westminster Kingsway College, City of Westminster College, Central West Group Australia, Vital Regeneration and the Paddington Development Trust. For further information go to www.londonapprenticeship.co.uk

3. As a result of significant work across the Greater London Authority Group and with its public sector partners' real progress in the recruitment of apprentices is being made. The London Apprenticeship Task Force has delivered a number of focused actions plans in key sectors such as retail, IT, and transport and these are currently being delivered in partnership by employers, the National Apprenticeship Service and Sector Skills Councils.

4. Photographs and a release about the Apprenticeship Week event with Richard Barnes and Tim Campbell are available on request.

5. For press enquiries please contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it   or call 020 7963 8548.