Why I always knew I wanted to do an apprenticeship

I knew I wanted to do an apprenticeship from a young age, since the middle of secondary school when I was picking my GCSE subjects. At school I was always interested in the practical and relatable subjects that would be relatable to everyday life. For example, my favorite subjects were religious studies and business studies. I am also a homely person, so moving away to university wasn’t personally for me. 

I have always been a practical person and enjoy learning ‘by doing’, therefore the academic aspects of university within an apprenticeship were a great opportunity for me to practically apply my learning within the workplace. I believe many people don’t appreciate the true importance of learning until you can actually apply that learning within the workplace or everyday life. 
 

I had good support from my school when looking for apprenticeships. As apprenticeships became more popular, there was more interest and support from my school to support those who were interested in this route opposed to university. For example, we had past students visit us at school and sixth form to provide us with insights of the many benefits they have gained from choosing the apprenticeship route. It was insightful to hear from people who were in my position not too long ago, and allowed me to gain a better understanding. Since starting my apprenticeship, I have visited my former school and sixth form a number of times to share my experience and support.

Unfortunately, I know a lot of schools don’t have any support in apprenticeships, this is an area that massively needs to improve. I have supported at a number of other schools and events to promote apprenticeships to students as well as parents and teachers. I hope others can gain insight from my experience as an apprentice at BT, and enable them to understand the true potential of apprenticeships.

I researched and discovered the apprenticeships I was interested in online. I completed broad and business-wide apprenticeships that would allow me to gain a breadth of experience in multiple different business areas.

I was offered apprenticeship roles at different organisations, where I applied for Level 4 and Level 6 apprenticeships. However, the Level 6 degree apprenticeship at BT was an offer I couldn’t turn down – it was the perfect opportunity for me.

Within the Chartered Management Degree Apprenticeship, I complete four different rotations where I have had the opportunity to work in different teams for the timeframe of a year. There are lots of different rotations in which apprentices can complete, and I’ve noticed that each year there are even more teams interesting in having apprentices join their teams. 

I completed my first rotation in the BT Strategy and Innovation Team, which involved setting the organisational strategy for the next five to ten years. It also incorporated working on interesting innovations such as AI, IoT, and Space. My second rotation was in the Customer Marketing Team, where I led on projects to directly communicate with our BT and EE customers, for example providing them with product and service updates. My third rotation was in the Product Team, where I worked on BT’s Voice and Collaboration products. Each of these rotations allowed me to gain experience and develop my skills and knowledge, such as stakeholder collaboration, presentation skills, and taking accountability. 

The application process for apprenticeships is quite lengthy. I personally think that applying for an apprenticeship is harder and requires more dedicated time than applying for university. It requires the completion of many different stages. The typical stages of applying for an apprenticeship, although they might differ depending on the organisation, require creating a CV, creating personalised cover letters for each organisation you apply for, and completing an application. After completing the application, you will be asked to complete English, maths and personality-based tests, online interviews, assessment centres, and face-to-face interviews.

It is a lengthy process, however, it is 100% worth it! While going through it, you are also understanding the organisation you're applying for, meeting employees who work there, and ultimately deciding if it is the right company and apprenticeship role for you.

It's important to keep motivated throughout the application process to ensure you are presenting your best self at each stage. At times you may not hear any updates for months, but don’t let this worry you. There are normally high volumes of recruitment so it can take time!

The work experience massively helped me, in multiple ways. Firstly, it supported me to understand what area of business I am interested in. Through completing work experience in different industries and sectors, it supported me in understanding what was and wasn’t the right fit for me. Additionally, work experience helps your apprenticeship application stand out, to show you have completed your research and understand what you want to do – make sure to include any work experience on your CV or application.

Having a part-time job is equally as important, as it allows you to understand your career of interest, alongside gaining and developing different skills. This can support in highlighting your interest and demonstrate the different skills developed, such as communication, customer engagement, and time management.

When I started my apprenticeship, I was nervous about the balance of studying at university and working alongside. However, from the very start, the other apprentices and I gained support from our learning provider (QA) and BT to ensure a smooth transition. This included an apprenticeship induction week and numerous university support sessions to support us with time management, assignments, and balancing university with work. It is also key to note, the other apprentices were in the exact same position – we supported each other as a community and still continue to do so.

There is a lot of support provided to apprentices. In terms of university support, each apprentice is allocated a ‘skills coach’, who closely supports us throughout our apprenticeship scheme. Part of this support includes completing a performance review every two-three months, to assist in reviewing our progress both at university and within the workplace. These sessions are really useful as they allow for apprentices to ask their skills coach lots of questions, address any concerns. and better understand your goals in completing the apprenticeship.

At BT, there are many different avenues for support. These include the Future Careers Team, who are dedicated to supporting apprentices throughout their scheme, there is also regular training and development, and the opportunity to receive mentorship. I have found mentorship extremely beneficial in creating a link between university and the workplace, whereby my mentor and I discuss the different topics I learn at university, enabling me to better understand their impact in the workplace and how to apply my learning within my role.
 

When I started my apprenticeship, it was difficult to develop connections as I joined during covid. The other apprentices and I were all working from home, and we didn’t have the opportunity to meet each other face-to-face for a long time. I was working from home for nine months before going into the office for the first time. It was difficult working from home at the start of my apprenticeship, however what really helped me settle into the business and meet new people was a weekly virtual apprentice catch-up. Now, after covid, we still continue these weekly calls to support each other.

There are a number of different networks you can join at BT. For example, networks focusing on diversity and inclusion, and gender equality. Not long after I started, I developed an internal Sustainability Forum, which now has 650 members who are driving and delivering sustainable action, internally and externally. It is fantastic to have the potential to drive significant change as an apprentice and have the support from BT and colleagues to do so.

I also believe it is really important to visit and stay in touch with your friends at university. I regularly spend my weekends and annual leave visiting my friends. Although I haven’t had the traditional university experience, I have still had the same experience through visiting my friends on freshers' week and at other events.

It's vital to make the most of the apprenticeship – it's a really unique opportunity with many benefits. I think it's important to get involved in a range of projects to ensure you gain a diverse range of experiences and skills. Also saying ‘yes’ to lots of opportunities that are presented your way, allows you to meet new people, pursue your passions, and better understand what steps you would like to take after completing the apprenticeship.

Networking and making valuable connections is also important – with other apprentices, other students at university or people in the workplace. You are likely to learn a lot from these people, form good working relationships and develop friendships. Networking is also a good skill to develop when you are looking for an apprenticeship, for example on work experience.

I would suggest you should definitely go for it! Do your research, learn more, and apply for those that interest you the most.

If you are considering an apprenticeship or university, I would suggest creating a pros and cons list, to ask yourself why you want to do an apprenticeship vs. university. Personally, I find getting things on paper and being able to visualise your reasoning really helps. It could also be beneficial to ask advice from any contacts, or reach out to apprentices on LinkedIn to gain more insights. Or ask your from family and friends, but remember it's your career and ultimately your decision to pick the route which is best for you.

Apprenticeships are massively growing and developing, even since I started mine in 2020. I have seen more and more research and articles discussing the many apprenticeship routes and careers including law, medicine, and business – there are so many different apprenticeships you can explore!