Paige Paves the Way: Oaklea Trust & East Durham College Mark First Apprenticeship Success
East Durham College and Oaklea Trust celebrate their first apprentice to complete their programme through their new Apprentice Academy approach to training.
The Oaklea Trust is a charity which supports people with learning disabilities across Supported Living services in the North of England. Recently, Oaklea partnered with East Durham College to launch the new NE Apprentice Academy, created for people looking for a career in Health and Social Care.
Our first Apprentice, Paige, joined the Academy in April 2024. Paige had a long-standing passion for the sector and had been seeking a career in Health and Social Care since leaving school. After reaching out to the Oaklea Trust to enquire about apprenticeship opportunities, Paige was invited to an interview and was successfully appointed as an Apprentice Support Worker. To ensure the best quality training for Paige, Oaklea contacted East Durham College to provide the Health and Social Care apprenticeship framework that was right for her. Paige was then enrolled on a Level 2 Health and Social Care employment and became part of the team at one of Oaklea’s Supported Living services in Spennymoor.
From shadowing her team and learning from her colleagues, Paige developed strong hands-on experience in her role as a Support Worker. Through regular support from her assessor, Marie, and the support of her Team Manager, Paige successfully passed her Level 2 qualification in Autumn 2025.
The apprenticeship has given Paige the confidence, knowledge and practical skills needed to succeed in her role to support people with learning disabilities in their everyday lives. She will be enrolling on her level 3 Health and Social Care apprenticeship in the new year, and the team at Oaklea and East Durham College look forward to supporting Paige on the next stage of her journey.
