National Apprenticeships week is celebrated annually in February, shining a light on the positive impact that apprenticeships make to individuals, businesses and the wider community. Between 10th - 16th February this year, events up and down the UK will celebrate how apprenticeships and the skills acquired, support individuals develop rewarding careers and employers to develop their teams.
Two of the 11 apprentices at Shorts, Sam Cray and Ben Howley shared some of their experiences studying through the apprenticeships route.
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Ben Howley Ben is studying an |
Sam Cray Sam recently |
What was it that appealed to you about studying through an apprenticeship?
- Sam - Studying through an apprenticeship provided me with the opportunity to learn whilst working. Being able to apply and incorporate what I learn through my studies to the work I do every day, helps to ground and cement what I have learned.
- Ben - Throughout school I never really enjoyed just sitting and learning about things in a classroom. I then turned my attention to apprenticeships because it was perfect, I would get to learn and develop those skills at the same time, I also thought it would be beneficial to gain experience in a real working environment, to help gain confidence and also get paid whilst doing it.
How would you describe your experience of studying this way?
- Sam - Studying this way meant I could adapt to a fully office-based lifestyle, while having time allocated to focusing on my studies and professional development. This helped facilitate my transition from university into full time work.
- Ben - I would say it has been an extremely efficient way of learning as I have been able to be hands on with a lot of different IT processes. Its has also been very enjoyable as everyone is very friendly and understanding.
What support have you received, from the training provider and Shorts?
- Sam - Prior to my professional and advanced level exams were revision weeks provided by my training provider. This helped me to prepare for my exams and focus on my exam technique.
- Ben - As I am linked to this apprenticeship through chesterfield college, I have been having monthly remote meeting with my college tutor and in those meeting, he checks to make sure everything is going well and that I am comfortable with the work I am being assigned, I also have review sessions where Dan Neal joins the meeting and he gives feedback on my progression and I also give feedback on my experiences. I find the review sessions very helpful for knowing how I am getting on. The support from Shorts and the IT team has been unbelievable, they have been amazing in always making sure I am moving forward, I always have something to do, when needed they always make sure I well prepared when tackling a new task. They have also been very helpful in helping me reach the targets set by college. Shorts as whole has very patient and understanding of the fact, I am new to all of this and it will take some time to be able to reach the level of my fellow IT team.
What would you say has been the biggest challenge you have faced during your time as an apprentice?
- Sam - I think most apprentices would agree that the biggest challenge is the tremendous time commitment required to pass their exams. Maintaining a work-life balance becomes far more challenging when you need to sacrifice more time in the evenings for exam preparation.
- Ben - I would say the biggest challenge I have faced is building then maintaining confidence in my ability to carry out support tasks and sometimes project work but less so. I would say this is because when I know what I am doing or have a way to find it out I’m very comfortable, but when I am caught a bit of guard, I can become quite tunnel visioned and maybe feel like I have to have answer for someone. But I will say I have improved on this since starting here. So, I would say my biggest challenge has not been having confidence but maintaining it for everything I do.
What has been your greatest achievement to date whilst being an apprentice?
- Sam - Being able to pass all of my exams first time and adapting to the responsibilities and challenges that the apprenticeship presented.
- Ben - If I had to single out a particular project I have done, I would say the test network I set up. It was not only fun to do, but also very rewarding to see it all working. I set up a router and switch stack, to give my devices internet via ethernet connection, I set up a host server and installed Hyper-V, so I could setup my domain controller and file server, I also set up three users of my own and then added a printer. The premise is to emulate a smaller scall version of the live network to a localised network, so you can test things with little to no consequence. But if I had to be more general about this question, I was say something I am most proud of, is the amount of different things that I have learnt and the wide range of skills I have picked up.
Can you give some examples of the onsite experiences that your apprenticeship has provided?
- Sam - The ACA apprenticeship and my role has given me insight into industries and businesses that I otherwise would have remained ignorant of. From preparing statutory accounts at industrial manufacturing firms, to completing audits for retail clothing outlets; the scope of experiences compared to other apprenticeships is unparalleled.
- Ben - There is the test network setup I mention prior. Another one is setting up the MS SQL server and moving it. I am also the main person for setting up new user laptops and accounts.
What valuable work place skills, do you think the apprenticeship route in particular provides?
- Sam - The apprenticeship route demands strong time management skills to make sure that you don’t fall behind on work while preparing enough for the exams.
- Ben - The apprenticeship route greatly improves your people skills. It takes you into a real working environment where you have to interact with a large variety of people. It helps build confidence and learn how to adapt to situations you are presented with.
Do you feel that you are you given interesting and varied work?
- Sam - My role gives me the opportunity to work with clients in a wealth of industries. This provides me with insights into industries that I had not previously worked with or considered and has helped broaden my understanding of the commercial aspects of businesses.
- Ben - Most definitely. I have something to do every day, helping people throughout the company is one of them and that always provides new problems and solutions. The project work I get set by my manager and other members of the IT team is probably my favourite, as it provides a challenge, also is very interesting and fun. Also, on top of that, college sets me tasks to do as I work towards completing my apprenticeship.
What have you found the most enjoyable or rewarding about your time as an apprentice so far?
- Sam - Setting myself a clear goal of where I wanted to take my career and what I wanted to achieve meant I could track my progress to the milestones of different exams and work achievements.
- Ben - I would say my project work. It is challenging, fun and when it all comes together and starts to work it is very rewarding. Especially as time goes on I have been receiving more important and challenging work, that is independent and that gives me confidence as I feel they have more trust and faith in my ability which shows growth.
Would you recommend apprenticeships?
- Sam - I would recommend apprenticeships to anyone seeking a challenging but highly rewarding route to a professional career.
- Ben - I would one hundred percent recommended an apprenticeship. Whether you are already thinking about it or just don’t know what your wanting to do, which is where I was before I started at Shorts. You get to learn, get some money and get qualifications all at the same time.
What advice would you give to anyone currently considering apprenticeships?
- Sam - I think striving to maintain a work-life balance that you are satisfied with is imperative. It can be easy to several hours a night into exam preparation, but it helped me to set myself time to relax. The apprenticeship is a marathon not a sprint; regular preparation and revision is key.
- Ben - A piece of advice I would give is, pick something you feel you have an interest for and go down that route: apply for those roles. Something for me that made it hard to commit, was the thought of being placed in a working environment with a lack of knowledge about what I was doing. But I soon learnt that people understand that, and you are there to yes, help their place of work, but also to learn and, if you are willing and hardworking, people will value that. So do something you're passionate about and don’t let your worries make you miss out on good opportunities.
What three words best describe apprenticeships?
- Sam - Rewarding, Illuminating, Challenging.
- Ben - Experience, Challenging, Great.
(Left to Right - Ben Howley, Craig Lucas, Dan Neal, Lloyd Caesar and Chris Allen)
Chris Allen, IT Director said:
"Ben joined us as an apprentice in February 2024 and the during the year has made remarkable progress. For any apprentice there is a double edged requirement to be successful: the requirement to learn about the core subject of the apprenticeship and a requirement to understand the way the team and the business operate. Ben has been able to tackle these challenges with a positive approach and has consistently demonstrated willingness to ask questions and eagerness to improve. He has been able to integrate feedback and apply it to his work and his contribution to the team has been increasingly significant over the year. We are very happy to be able to provide an opportunity to grow and develop when that opportunity is so handsomely repaid with dedication and diligent work."
Our web pages contain more details on career development which can be found here
