Could you be the next Apprentice?
Most people have seen the hit TV series, The Apprentice. Well Robert Bromley is an apprentice within our team and wishes to share his journey so far and invaluable advice to all those who are unsure of what step to take next on the career path.
'After finishing my GCSE’s I had to make a decision that would change my life completely, a decision that thousands of young people around the world have to make each and every year. I had to choose what to do next, how to go about it and who to contact to do it.
Unsure of the options I began my search. I instantly thought about A-Levels and college, I knew that neither of them were right for me but the only other option (or so I believed) was to go and find a job that would most probably be very hard repetitive work for very little money.
I searched high and low for an option that involved working as well as gaining qualifications. Just as I was about to give up, I received a letter from my local Connexions about an opportunity called the “Kent Success Apprenticeship Scheme”. It involved working 5 days a week but also completing an NVQ Level 2 in 'Business and Administration'.
I sent in an application form and within a week I had been invited to an interview for the next day. The interview went really well and the Kent Success team were very kind and welcoming. They explained that I had got through the interviewing stage and that they would now try and find me a position within the KCC for a year. They told me that the process may take several weeks to several months but to be patient and a position will arise.
After only 2 days I received a phone call telling me that the Technology, Research and Transformation Team would like to interview me for a position, and if it went well, I could start as early as one month away. I was so excited that the interview date came in no time and I was offered the position to start on January 6th, I gratefully accepted.
My first day came around quickly and I was really nervous. I hadn’t done anything in almost two months and was now going back to the early starts and late finishes. Thankfully, everyone made me feel at home and I was shown the routine tasks I would be asked to do daily. The main tasks were sorting out the post, photocopying, making phone calls on behalf of various people and answering the phones for various people. Once I had learnt the phone shortcuts I was set loose and given normal work as if I had already been there for several weeks. This really helped as it showed that just because someone is on the Apprenticeship Scheme they are not treated differently from the other staff in any way.
After a couple of weeks I was introduced to my NVQ assessor. She told me that I would have to complete five units throughout my NVQ; two of them compulsory and the other three would be my choice. She also told me that I would have to pass two general office exams, and she arranged some dates for us to have our reviews.
I am now 10 months through the Apprenticeship Scheme and have become good friends with several people in the office. I have been offered a permanent position to start when my NVQ ends. Since starting I have never looked back. I now have a promising career in front of me as well as an extra qualification, and therefore would recommend the Apprenticeship Scheme to anyone leaving school.'
If you would like some more information on the apprenticeship scheme, you can find it here or by emailing info@kentapprenticeships.com
Remember: Your future is in your hands.
Picture: Sir Alan Sugar, Nick Hewer and Margaret Mountford, with thanks to Goatee for publishing on Flickr under a Creative Commons license some rights reserved.
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