A Leicester learner who was so shy that she could hardly speak on her first day at Rathbone is now greeting students to our Colton Street site.

Bubbly Sumayyah Kabu (19) endured a crisis of confidence after she left high school and admits she was terrified of what she called, “stepping into the outside world.” But now the Level 2 Business Administration Apprentice is a soothing influence on new starters and is thoroughly enjoying the office banter in Leicester.

“This is my first proper experience of work and I was nervous about being with people who aren’t my own age” says Sumayyah who hopes one day to become a secretary, “but it’s better at Rathbone than at colleges I’ve been to and I’m learning on the job.”

Sumayyah Kabu

Even though Sumayyah’s high school helped her craft a CV and role-play job interviews, she was given no information at all about apprenticeships, until she went to college. “My parents didn’t even know what an apprenticeship really was” continued Sumayyah, “I really wish I’d been taught about them earlier. I like learning like this and think I wasted some years when I could’ve been doing an apprenticeship.”

Sumayyah initially joined Rathbone on the Foundation Learning course after she discovered sixth form and being a child carer just weren’t for her. She managed to pass Literacy, Numeracy and ICT exams and progressed on to her Level 2 qualifications and moved on to Rathbone’s new IN2WORK scheme for unemployed 19-24 year-olds. Spending her days doing important office duties, she hasn’t done with studying yet and wants to move on to a Level 3 because she’d “like a bit more responsibility!”

Sumayyah is part of Rathbone Leicester’s Youth Forum which regularly discusses life at the centre and recently voted to ban energy drinks from sessions. Given that Colton Street boasts a full-stocked café to train chefs, perhaps we shouldn’t be surprised that healthy eating is on the menu there!

Super confident Sumayyah can relate to the nerves school leavers in particular might feel when they begin college.

But if their choice is Rathbone Leicester at least they can be sure of a warm and sympathetic welcome…