Milton Keynes College apprentice recognised after saving local NHS Trust more than £500k

An apprentice whose course project saved MK NHS trust approximately £590,000 joined fellow apprentices and students at Milton Keynes College Group’s graduation ceremony last week.

Around 170 former students of MK College and the South Central Institute of Technology celebrated completing their apprenticeships, HNCs, HNDs and professional qualifications at a ceremony at The Stables.

They included Kayleigh Southern, who completed her Level 3 Apprenticeship in Team Leading after recently taking on a management position at Milton Keynes University Hospital, with one of her projects saving the NHS Trust around £590,000 and reducing patient wait times by three months.

Kayleigh Southern, former MK College apprentice and Assistant Service Manager at Milton Keynes University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, said: “Younger me couldn’t imagine being a manager, but my apprenticeship and the support from the staff at MK College gave me the tools, techniques and confidence to progress in my career.

"I learned so much, not just from the course itself but also from my fellow apprentices and their diverse range of backgrounds and experiences. My teachers were incredible and I now count my tutor as a friend and mentor whose advice has been invaluable. I’d thoroughly recommend an apprenticeship – it gives you skills you can apply to both your personal and professional life.”

Sally Alexander, chief executive and group principal at MK College Group, said: “We’re incredibly proud of our graduates. They’ve worked so hard in what have been very challenging times and, like Kayleigh, they’ve all learned skills they can apply to their work and personal lives.”