John Brookes shares his apprenticeship experience with us

John, who was born and raised in Walsall, started as a Catering Assistant Apprentice at our Harden Hall care home and has thrived in his role, progressing to Chef Manager. 

Prior to starting his apprenticeship, John was considering going to college but decided it wasn’t for him and that he wanted to gain hands-on experience and expand the knowledge he already had. Wanting to give back to the older generation, he started his apprenticeship with us. John said:

I think this is the kind of environment that really shows you how many people care. For me, I want to give back by serving residents nutritious and balanced meals that they really enjoy.

The apprenticeship has enabled John to progress in his career, where he has since completed his Level Two apprenticeship qualification. John also won our Apprentice of the Year award and was named West Midlands Apprentice of the Year at the Regional National Apprenticeship Awards in 2020. 

I love that Anchor has plenty of opportunities not only for younger people to excel but colleagues of all ages. It’s great because there are many career paths open to take within the organisation and I’ve met so many amazing people who have helped me along the way. I can’t wait to see what the future holds.

John’s favourite part of his role is preparing new meals and resident favourites such as his lasagne or Chinese chicken curry. He also enjoys taking time out from the kitchen to speak with residents. 

It’s so rewarding knowing that residents enjoy the meals I cook. I also enjoy getting to know the residents all individually, their backgrounds and what sorts of meals they used to make and enjoy eating.

The advice John would give to those considering an apprenticeship is to go for it! 

I would recommend an apprenticeship because of the hands-on experience you get. It’s great because you also get to meet a wide range of people across ages, cultures and life experiences that you can learn from.

You’ll be glad you did it, I know I am. I’m grateful every day for all the opportunities I have had in just the three years I’ve worked for Anchor. I couldn’t wish for a better company to work for!

Visit our careers page to see our current recruitment opportunities or if you're interested in finding out more about our apprenticeships click here.