Congratulations to Oluwaseun Alabi (Seun), Somerville’s Housekeeping Supervisor, and Teresa Walsh, who is our Housekeeping Manager, for winning the Activate Enterprise competition. Both team members were presented with their award on Friday the 8th of April at a ceremony in the Margaret Thatcher Centre.
Oluwaseun Alabi
Seun, who manages a team of over 20 Housekeeping staff, was named out of 1,500 learners in the Thames Valley area as the Activate Enterprise Apprentice of the Year. In her nomination, she was described as “highly-motivated to achieve her apprenticeship. She applies 100% to whatever she needs to do and has worked hard to achieve Level 2 ICT Functional Skills from an Entry 3 starting point. She always seeks advice and guidance on how she can improve and sees a fail as a positive incentive to improve. She is very supportive to her team who are also completing Level 2 Apprenticeships.”
At the ceremony Seun thanked Principal of Somerville College, Dr. Alice Prochaska; the Treasurer, Mr. Andrew Parker; and HR manager; Mrs Lorna White. “When any training comes up my manager contacts them for approval and they always say because they know it will benefit us individually and collectively,” she said at the ceremony.
“My sincere gratitude goes to my honourable housekeeping manager, Mrs Teresa Walsh because she’s just like a mother to us in the housekeeping department,” Seun added. “She always thinks of how we can improve in our skills and knowledge in order to move the department forward. I would also like to thank the housekeeping department for the great support they’ve given me to be able to implement all that I’ve learned through this training course.”
Teresa Walsh
Teresa, who won the Employer of the Year Award, was chosen out of 1,000 employers in the Thames Valley. She was nominated for the excellent support she offers her staff, providing them with the necessary time to spend with their assessor.
“We have been offering our staff apprenticeships with Activate Enterprise for over five years,” said Teresa. “Because they are such flexible training opportunities and they are available at a level and in an area that is relevant to their job: for example, NVQ in cleaning, supervisory training, or training to improve ICT and English skills.
“As an employer, it’s really important to support your staff to understand not only what their job involves, but also the bigger picture. For example, how things like health and safety impact on their work.”
Congratulations again to Seun and Teresa!