Apprentice Case Study -Name: Conor Reed
Job title: Trainee Business Administrator
Training: Level 3 NVQ Business and administration apprentice, Level 2 BTEC Certificate in Fire and Rescue Services in the Community, NCFE Level 2 Certificate in Equality & Diversity, Youth Mental Health First Aid, Level 3 Certificate in Preparing to Teach in the Lifelong Learning Sector, Fire Warden Training, Level 2 Functional Skills (ICT).
Location: Works in Cramlington, Northumberland
After my GCSE results day in 2011, I did achieve high grades of A’s and B’s and I was more than capable of continuing on to complete A-levels and going to university. After all of my exams and the intensive studying on the lead up to them, I had become bored with school. I wanted to head out into a workplace and find out what it was really like to make a living. I didn’t have the experience that employers were looking for, but an Apprenticeship requires no experience in a specific area – it is designed to give you an insight into a trade, an industry and an organisation. It gives you lots of varied experience which can prepare you for a number of future roles. And of course, it has the added bonus of both qualifications and a wage. At first I wasn’t sure if this was the right decision, but I can honestly say that I have never looked back.
I started my Apprenticeship in Business and Administration within the Community Safety Academy of Northumberland Fire and Rescue Service. Now, two years on, I am a full time Trainee Business Administrator within Human Resources and Learning & Development and have recently started as an ‘on-call’ firefighter.
What's a typical day like for you?
I would normally arrive in to work for 9 o’clock, however I was subject to a flexible working scheme, so as long as I worked the right amount of hours per week, I could arrive earlier some days, and later other days. The first job on my list would be to check my emails to make sure that I had an idea of what my colleagues needed from me throughout the day. This is when every day would change; I could find myself conducting Home Fire Safety Checks, assisting in the delivery of fire service related courses to young people, attending home visits to young fire-setters or arranging events for Young Firefighters from across the county. I could be in meetings with senior members of the service taking minutes or acting as the Personal Assistant to the Chief Fire Officer. In the Fire and Rescue Service, no two days are the same!
What has been the most memorable day of your Apprenticeship so far?
The most memorable day of my Apprenticeship was my second visit to a certain fire-setter. This young person had a lot of problems, but after our first visit they took in all of the advice we gave them, and tried their best not only to change their own behaviour, but make a difference in their household’s behaviour. Seeing this change in a young person really inspired me to continue my work in the community to make a difference.
What are the best things about being an apprentice?
As an apprentice in an organization, you are the new person and you can’t get away from that fact. The flip side to this is that everyone in your place of work will introduce themselves to you, shows you their role and you can build up a picture of how the whole place fits together. Training will be given to you in all sorts of subjects that you wouldn’t even have thought were important or relevant, and you’ll often gain qualifications or certificates in this training which will help you in future employment. The learning provider for your Apprenticeship will deliver a great standard of training to you, which for me fed my desire to keep learning – but this time, it was in a subject which was relevant to my work, and something I could take out into any job I ever find myself in. Earning your own wage is a very much the highlight of the experience. You would never believe that you are being paid to have this much fun and do something so worthwhile!
What are the best things about working in the industry you work in?
The Fire and Rescue Service is a very respected and disciplined service. The standards expected of everyone are very apparent, however the service allows individuals to develop themselves and make their own ideas on certain things. As the service is very team orientated, everyone supports each other and as an apprentice, you know you are in very capable hands. The service is also a very complex organisation running 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, which means that when you complete an Apprenticeship with them, the job is totally different as you have colleagues needing tasks completed for late hours of the day, or asking you about them in the very early hours of the morning. This experience means that you can get a feel for the pressures organisations can face and feel more prepared to work in any environment.
What's the most surprising thing you've learnt during your Apprenticeship?
During my Apprenticeship, I was surprised to be given the opportunity to work towards the qualifications which my department delivered. I have attended Fire Warden courses, gained a BTEC in Fire and Rescue Services in the Community, Manual Handling Training, Equality and Diversity Training, Youth Mental Health First Aid and when I was kept on at the end of my Apprenticeship, I have even been able to gain a teaching qualification. It is obvious that Apprenticeship employers take pride in providing their apprentices with a range of tools for later life.
What would you say to someone thinking about applying for an apprenticeship?
If you are thinking about applying for an Apprenticeship, make sure you look into the options available. There are Apprenticeships in almost every business, organization, company, trade or role you can think of – which means there is something for everyone. Apprenticeships are not like college or university – you take on a role and learn through your experiences as opposed to spending time in a classroom and learning from someone else’s experiences. Why not start a program of learning where you are assessed while undertaking your own role which you are comfortable with, instead of in an examination hall.
What do you think are the biggest myths about Apprenticeships?
I used to think Apprenticeships were just for people wanting to learn a trade, like plumbers or carpenters etc. I couldn’t have been more wrong! The variety of Apprenticeships available is unbelievable! You won’t become someone’s shadow, wandering around handing tools to them – you’ll be given a specific role, your own jobs to do and treat just like anyone else. Obviously you will not be as experienced as those you are working with, so you won’t be expected to walk straight in and get on with it on your own – your line manager or tutor will guide you through the whole process so that you either walk into a position at the end, or walk into another job with a fantastic amount of experience and at least one relevant qualification.
What do you expect to be doing in 10 years’ time?
In 10 years’ time, I hope to be working for a busy Fire and Rescue Service, using the skills I gained while working with a number of departments to work my way up the promotion ladder from an operational firefighter, whether I am an incident commander riding in a fire engine or managing a team of people inside a department.
Why an Apprenticeship rather than university?
Although I have heard that university is a great experience and the qualifications available are second to none, I also know a lot of people are still unable to gain employment due to a lack of work or life experience. All of my school friends who have took the “risk” of not going to sixth form, college or university and choosing an Apprenticeship are now all in fantastic full time jobs after progressing through their Apprenticeships in engineering, mechanics, business admin and pharmaceuticals. Whereas my friends in sixth form who are heading to university know that with the job market being so competitive, in the current climate, they will have to search hard to find a job which will take someone on with no experience. That employer may even place those people onto an Apprenticeship during their first year of employment.
You don’t have to be fresh out of school for an Apprenticeship – it’s just a method of learning. Some colleagues in my organization are on leadership Apprenticeships and they have been working for years and years!
What advice would you give someone leaving school or college now?
If you’re collecting your results this summer at school, college or university – think about which route is for you. You might like the idea of classroom based learning and projects and study; but if you prefer learning on the job, with people around you to support you, your own training officer and the opportunity to gain qualifications and valuable experience, then why not log on to the National Apprenticeships Service website and look into the opportunities nationwide – there is something for everyone.
Twitter: @n_landcouncil
