Hey! I’m Euan, a Level 6 Chartered Business Management Degree Apprentice at IBM. Within the organisation, I worked as a Service Design in our Customer Transformation business, currently working on a Health and Lifecare Sciences account, helping deliver a key service for daily life within the country.
During school, I was hard-working, and to be honest, I always had university on site as my concrete future step. However, during sixth form, I began to work many part-time jobs at the same time whilst completing my studies and fell in love with the business of combining the two. The part-time jobs ranged from being a barista to working for a global automotive company working at Silverstone.
Here I began to research apprenticeships. I saw this as a natural next step as it would allow me to continue the combination of studying and working. Through my research, I came across Degree Apprenticeships and knew this was what I wanted to do next.
My school wasn't as helpful as I thought, still pushing me to make a UCAS application, so I began to navigate the apprenticeship application process for IBM myself, studying tips and tricks online in-depth, and I guess it worked!
Firstly, I’m gaining invaluable experience within the Technology industry, one of the fastest growing. By the time I finish my apprenticeship, I will have 3+ years of experience compared to those my age who went to university. More than ever, especially within the industry that I operate in, employees are looking for experience over degrees/qualifications, and I will be in a prime position with both.
On top of the invaluable experience, IBM is also paying for my qualifications. At the end of my degree, I will gain a bachelor’s degree in Business Management from the University of Kent, plus Chartered Management Status from the Chartered Management Institute. That means at 21, I will have a degree, the highest qualification in the management and leadership profession, plus 3+ years of incredible experience.
Moreover, I am paid a salary by the company, which often increases based on individual and business performance. This makes me feel extremely important, especially when I’m completing such crucial work. One of the most common misconceptions about apprenticeships is that you don’t complete important work. However, this is far from the case – I completed work that is critical to my project, and without it, it wouldn’t run as smoothly and could encounter many problems.
Please reach out to me if you ever want to talk about this route for your future!
The author was drawn to the combination of studying and working and discovered that apprenticeships would allow them to continue this balance. They saw it as a natural next step and wanted to gain practical experience alongside their studies.
By opting for a degree apprenticeship, you can gain valuable experience within the industry of choice, which is highly sought after. You will also stack up over three years or experience by the end of the programme, leaving you in a favourable position compared to peers who attended university.
Yes, a salary is paid to the apprentice, from the company, which may increase based on individual and business performance. They feel valued and important as they contribute to critical work that directly impacts their project's success.
