1. Did you go straight into your Apprenticeship from school?
No, from school I did a year or so of college, then I jumped around doing retail work, bit of office work, telephone work. I just jumped around trying to find the one thing that I wanted to do and then I found this and I’m happy doing this. At college, I did a year of joinery and carpentry and year of plumbing.
2. Why did you choose to do an Apprenticeship?
When I found it, it seemed like a great way to get into a career and it seemed like a lot of hands on work when I was reviewing it. I work a lot better with my hands than sitting behind a desk. Behind a desk I get bored and start annoying everyone.
3. How did you find out about your Apprenticeship?
My fiancé found it online and told me about it and then I read it and applied through the Government website.
4. What have you gained from your Apprenticeship – skills, experience etc.?
I’ve definitely improved in my carpentry as I’ve been using that here. Also, plumbing and a lot of basic skills - filling holes, hanging up TV’s and just general maintenance work, I’ve just really improved on.
5. What has been your proudest moment so far from doing your Apprenticeship?
I’m proud of everything that I’ve actually achieved, so obviously I’ve now got my forklift licence now and just everything like that the University has given me the opportunity to achieve whilst being here.
6. What do you plan to do next? / What are you doing now?
Hopefully go full time in estates at the University for a while.
7. How will your/has your Apprenticeship helped you to achieve this?
Without the Apprenticeship, I would say I wouldn’t’ have the knowledge of what I’m doing, the skills that are required being here. But through the Apprenticeship, it’s strengthened that knowledge that I needed.
8. What advice would you give a young person who might be thinking about an Apprenticeship?
Find something you’re interested in. Find an Apprenticeship that you like and go in with the knowledge that you need to apply yourself, don’t think you’re just there to sit around and watch. Get involved!
9. What advice would you give an employer who is considering employing an Apprentice?
Take the opportunity. They might be young, they might be inexperienced but they haven’t got any bad habits that you might see from people that have been in the trade for a while.
