I have trailblazed my way through 9 years with Kiwi & Yuzu Training, predominantly as the Apprenticeship Trainer for Devon, Somerset, Dorset and Wiltshire. I specialise in Hospitality, Team Leading, Retail, and Management training, and have had the honour of seeing hundreds of my Learners gain qualifications which have ensured that their careers have blossomed.

A typical day for me involves early intakes of coffee, followed by training sessions either in-person or via video call, during which my Learners and I will dazzle each other with incredible amounts of new knowledge and skills.

How did this all start for you, I hear you ask……..well, fate played a strong role in my journey, and after 13 years as the Manager of NHS Blood and Transplant in the South West, I partook in a coffee shop management role, followed by a Teaching job at a primary school. Then fate intervened, with Kiwi &Yuzu Training needing a new member of staff in my area – they immediately contacted the local Costa Coffee manager for any ideas on candidates that they knew of, who were blessed with management, coffee, and teaching experience…….this was me!….and the rest is a blur of phone calls, superb interviews, and accepted job offers!

Having done almost a decade of work for this fabulous company, I feel that as a Trainer, the best thing about Kiwi&Yuzu is that we prioritise Learners, we adapt to their learning style, and we make their journey with us as rewarding, enjoyable, and successful as it can possibly be……..personally, I want my Learners to look forward to their next training session with me, because they feel that they have fun whilst gaining the knowledge and skill that will make them better positioned to have a rewarding career.

I genuinely feel that Apprenticeships are perfect for the workplace of tomorrow, as they combine the best of education and employment and the benefits of both, and they ease Learners into their professional lives at a pace that best suits them and their employers, with Trainers who can both support and motivate them to want to always improve.