As National Apprenticeship Week draws to a close 22-year-old Alex Rule from Windsor has been describing his experience as the first apprentice to be taken on by Windsor-based event management company Penguins.

Having studied at Windsor Boys School and then Strodes College in Egham, Alex decided that an apprenticeship was the next step for his professional development.

He began at Penguins on the Vansittart Estate in Windsor in October, 2018.

He said: "Like most teenagers I had worked doing various things before but I came to a point where I thought I need to find something I could really be passionate about and enjoy. I had two options one was going to Kingston Uni on a Fashion Marketing course and the other was a creative venue technician apprenticeship at Penguins, what did I pick? Well, that’s obvious!"

Chris Stallwood, warehouse and facilities manager at Penguins, said: "It has been really great to watch Alex grow in confidence over the past 15 months, witness his skills develop and see his motivation to achieve a sound and rewarding career. There is still a little way to go before Alex completes his training, but the hope is that by the end of it he will go on to become a significant and valued member of the technical production team. I have no doubt based on the success we have had with Alex so far that as we grow this will be a programme we will roll out every year and can bring on a continuous supply of show and warehouse technicians."