What it’s like being an apprentice

Pav started with us as a Business Admin Apprentice, providing colleagues with support in a variety of areas. Now that he has completed his apprenticeship, we caught up with him to find out more about his apprenticeship experience.

What type of apprenticeship did you complete?

I did a Business Admin level three Apprenticeship. My background is in IT and I thought business admin would have elements of IT. My apprenticeship helped me learn a variety of skills like IT, communication and organisational. It’s benefited me on a personal scale as well as professionally. It’s also opened so many corridors for me for the future. 

I’ve been able to travel and speak to different types of people within different professions. Moreover, it’s my first corporate job and I have had a good year or so in this industry. 

Why did you choose to do an apprenticeship?

I didn’t want to go to university because I was tired of studying. In an apprenticeship, you work and study at the same time. Doing both helped me develop skills I wouldn’t have learned if I just went to university, and I was also able to put those skills into practice.  

Do you think your apprenticeship helped you enter the corporate world?

I think an apprenticeship is a good way to enter the corporate world, especially for someone without experience. I work alongside other disciplines which has given me an insight into how the business is run. I see how coworkers communicate and the different work they do, even if I am not in that team.   

What was the most challenging part of your apprenticeship and how did you overcome it?

The final project for my Apprenticeship was to develop a new system that would benefit the company. So, I started working on a noticeboard that would be updated every month with internal news and useful links. One of the challenges was completing the noticeboard on time. I also had a family emergency which impacted how soon it could be done.  

Another challenge was balancing coursework and my office job. I had to shift my focus so I wouldn’t miss deadlines and my team were supportive of that. They shared ideas for my final project and suggested how to plan everything and what could be included. Since I had new assignments each month, I had monthly meetings with my manager and mentor to discuss the coursework.  

Thanks to these changes, every time I submitted an assignment, I’d feel a sense of relief knowing it was out of the way instead of feeling overwhelmed because I left it to pile up.  

Apprenticeships require you to record the time you spend learning outside of your study time. But many apprentices say they struggle with documenting their on-the-job learning, how did you overcome this?

I had a separate book where I would write down everything that I’d learnt and how many hours. I would update it regularly so I wouldn’t forget the information. Then during team meetings, my team would give me feedback or tell me if I’d forgotten to add something. When you get to the end of your apprenticeship, or when you need to add to your journal, you can copy what you’ve written.  

What type of support did you receive?

I was given a trainer through my apprenticeship provider. He would always be on hand even if I asked questions that seemed minor. People, especially in the Slough office, knew I was doing an apprenticeship and some colleagues would offer help with assignments. It was really helpful because they’ve been in the company longer than me and they have more experience than me.

What was the exam like?

It was split into three sections, the first was a multiple-choice exam with 40 questions. Each question had four options. My trainer gave me mock questions to complete but I was still a bit nervous because the questions were going to be different to what I had prepared for.  

I had to create a written report about my project, the noticeboard. Then for the second part of my end point assessment, I turned the written report into a 15-minute presentation.  

Thirdly, I completed an interview with an external examiner about my day-to-day role. I also had to give them examples to support what I said. I was nervous about this because I didn’t know what to expect.  

Were you nervous about the 15-minute presentation as well?  

To be honest I wasn’t nervous because I knew what I wanted to say. I planned everything out beforehand, and my team helped me prepare as well. My apprenticeship trainer held mock presentations with me which boosted my confidence.  

The noticeboard has been a really helpful place to find information. Now that you’ve completed your apprenticeship what will happen to it?

I still update the noticeboard once a month after the monthly staff meeting. It will be an ongoing project and I think it’s a good starting point for new starters to get to know Project Centre. It has all the important links and upcoming dates to keep in your diary and employee achievements.  

What are your goals for the future?

Well, I plan to remain at Project Centre. Although I enjoy my role as business support, I’d like to improve my IT skills. As I mentioned in the beginning my background is in IT. I think continuing with that will help my career and skill set.  

Do you have any advice for new or current apprentices?

I would say always note down what you’re doing even if it’s just a few words. As long as you know what those words are, you’ll be able to expand on them later.  

Try to have a positive mindset. There’s no such thing as a wrong answer and you won’t get told off if you do something incorrectly at first or give the wrong response because you’re still learning. There will always be people ready to help and teach you when you’re struggling. In the end, mistakes are how we learn.   

Lastly, just enjoy yourself and socialise with as many people in the business as you can.  

If you’re interested in starting or developing your career by joining an apprenticeship course, speak to our Apprenticeship Manager, Sue Poulton.