10-16 February is National Apprenticeship Week.
We are celebrating this week with our very own apprentice’s story – Will, our IT & Operations Coordinator, courageously describes his experience working with us at here at Fresh Start...
My first experience with Fresh Start was very different from most, I wasn't a student under Fresh Start’s care, nor an Education Specialist, or even a parent. I was an apprentice.
At 17 and in college I had no idea what the real world outside of full-time education was like, I didn't know what to expect from a workplace. I suppose that's why my course had mandatory work experience. For three months I looked for a place that would take me on and for those three months I faced rejection. But then I found Fresh Start, a glimmer of hope on the horizon.
After a few weeks of paperwork and meetings, it was time for my first day at Fresh Start. That day, I came home smiling... for the first time in a while.
It took less time than I expected to settle into my position. My teammates and the company were extremely friendly and welcoming, which was a refreshing change. Throughout Primary and Secondary school and then into college I never had many friends, sometimes none, and I was immensely grateful that at work, I was with people who now understood me.
For the first few weeks I was timid, unsure of what to do, what was acceptable, what was considered ‘workplace appropriate’ but with the guidance of my manager and the rest of the staff, I opened up. I felt more comfortable talking to people, I learned not just what I needed to know for my job but also for life. My apprenticeship taught me skills that can not be taught in the classroom such as communication, time management and adaptability.
NATIONAL APPRENTICESHIP WEEK - 'It's a chance to gain real-world experience and build confidence and team skills that will stick with you for life.' Share on XAfter a while, I was given a project of my own, an exciting opportunity to create something. I spent a few weeks working on it and once completed the resources developed continue to be used by the team regularly, even today. Seeing my work have a lasting impact was a rewarding feeling.
A typical day throughout my Apprenticeship would start with checking my email and messages, then I would conduct a series of morning checks, after that, I would talk to my manager to discuss what was planned for that day, he would often have a project or task in mind ready us to work on together, or sometimes for me to handle solo. These tasks would normally last until lunch. In the afternoon I would check in with my manager and discuss anything for the rest of the day, this sometimes would either be a new task or continuing the task from the morning, this would take until 17:00 when I would finish for the day.
One of my favourite moments was being trusted to help with our annual Cyber Security audit, which is the field I was planning to (and now am) studying at university. My manager realised that being part of the audit would be a really great experience for me and he was right - the experience reinforced my passion for Cyber Security.
Although I was an apprentice and not a full-time member of staff, I was always included in all staff events including the Summer Social. The sense of inclusion made a huge difference.
Over the course of my Apprenticeship, I had a lot of self-discovery moments, from realising that I am capable of making friends, to learning I have over 30 of them at Fresh Start!
If you are debating whether an apprenticeship is right for you, it probably is. It's a chance to gain real-world experience and build confidence and team skills that will stick with you for life. One piece of advice I would give to new apprentice is don't be afraid to step out of your comfort zone. The more challenges there are, the more opportunities there are to grow, and don't be afraid to ask questions as questions are how you learn.
About the author
Will is an IT & Operations Coordinator at Fresh Start. He is now a student at the Open University and works closely with all the teams at Fresh Start.
