National Apprenticeship Week has fast become an important week in the calendar for us here at Perfect Placement. It is our opportunity to celebrate our apprentices and also to tell you how worthwhile it is not only employing an apprentice but also helping someone achieve and develop their career.

For our Automotive Recruitment Support Team , having apprentices has made a world of difference, the team has flourished with the 4 we have in place, all bringing their own enthusiasm, uniqueness and sheer commitment to the task in hand. It really is great being part of their journey and seeing each of them grow daily in skill and confidence.

As an employer, it definitely makes sense to bring apprentices on board and it is something we will continue to do as the need arises.

In the theme of encouraging people and businesses to get involved with apprenticeships, we thought we would ask our Apprentices why they took this route, what advice they could give and how it is all going.

How is your apprenticeship going?

Rae: Really well! I am at the stage where I am finishing off all my evidence to support my work, as well as starting to plan and get moving with my project. This is well ahead of where I need to be at the moment, so I feel really proud of myself.

Harry: Well I have now finished, so it’s going great!! I had a lot of support from my manager, she was extremely helpful and offered me any guidance and support I required. I also had a great tutor from the training provider so it worked really well.

Lewis: I think it is going great. I am really enjoying working within Perfect Placement and seeing my actions help the business. It gives me a great sense of accomplishment when I do things that help others within the company.

Olivia: It’s also going really well for me too. I feel like I have been progressing through it really well and meeting my targets and getting things completed to a really high level.

What attracted you to do an apprenticeship?

Harry: For me, I didn’t see the attraction in going to university, I believed that learning and earning would be the most beneficial thing for me. Plus, I got so much hands-on experience within a workplace that I wouldn’t have been able to if I was at University.

Rae: Yes, that’s the same for me, I wanted to learn new skills whilst working so it really was the perfect opportunity for me.

Lewis: For me, it was the opportunity to gain a qualification and work whilst gaining the necessary training to further my career as well as the experience of working within a company.

Olivia: The reason I was attracted to an apprenticeship, especially the one at Perfect Placement, was because it offered me a wide range of different skills. I knew that learning these skills it would boost my confidence and widen my knowledge of the business world.

What was your background before joining us?

Rae: I moved to New Zealand from the UK when I was 6 years old and returned with my family at the end of 2019. We decided to move to Norwich as it was by the coast, had a nice city feel and was close to our family who live in London.  We had never been to Norwich before moving here! Luckily we all love living here, Norwich is a beautiful city with lots of history and places for us to explore.

Harry: I completed my GCSE’s in 2017, and loved studying business. I then went on to completed my A-Levels in 2019 in which I studied Business, Geography and Sociology. After this I wanted to jump straight into work of some form, and enjoyed studying all things business hence my choice of apprenticeship.

Olivia: I had gone to college and did a BTEC Business & Finance course and also worked part-time doing Customer Service at a roller skating rink.

Lewis: Prior to my Business Administration apprenticeship I worked as an office junior and part-time within the catering industry.

Why did you choose to go down the Business Admin Route?

Lewis: I enjoyed studying Business Studies at Secondary School and I wanted to pursue a career within an industry in which I have a lot of interest within.

Rae: I am quite an organised person so I love admin and making sure all the little tasks are completed in order for a company to run smoothly. I like to be behind the scenes and with business admin you can work in many different sectors, keeping work interesting and learning lots along the way.

Harry: Business has always been a passion of mine, and through studying business I became aware of the amount of work ‘behind the scenes’ work is done, mostly by Administrative professionals and other support workers, therefore I decided to start here, and hope to work my way up through the ranks of some form throughout my career.

Olivia: I studied business in College and this led me to want to do business apprenticeship since then as it opens a lot of doors for so many different roles.

What do you enjoy most about your apprenticeship?

Olivia: For me, the thing I enjoy most is learning new skills and boosting my confidence around people and over the phone.

Harry: Now I have completed it I enjoy not having to do assignments anymore… only joking, I thoroughly enjoy my job, and also did enjoy the assignments I had to complete. However, learning and earning all at once has to top it.

Lewis: I enjoy working as a part of a team and being able to spend time learning skills as well as developing a career in the process.

Rae: I enjoy learning about how a business runs and what it actually takes to run a business. I had very little prior knowledge of business and economics so I have learnt a lot. I also really enjoy working in a friendly office environment where I can interact with my colleagues on a daily basis.

Is there any advice and tips you would give apprentices about to start their course?

Lewis: Always ask for help and support in an environment where the majority of people are older, wiser and have more experience within the working world.

Harry: Stick with it and think of the end result! Enjoy it!

Rae: Ask lots of questions. Always ask questions if you’re unsure for clarification and better understanding, it makes is so much easier to complete your work if you fully understand all aspects.

Olivia: My advice would be to support each other and ask questions when stuck as this will ultimately give you all the support you need whilst completing your apprenticeship

Well, there we have it, a viewpoint from 4 Apprentices who have been enjoying their course so far. We have been lucky at Perfect Placement that we have a very supportive training provider and that despite the hardships the year has thrown in our path we have been able to mould and shape these apprentices into valuable members of the team.

Our advice to recent school leavers, or those about to sit their exams, is that an apprenticeship is definitely worth considering and it will give you invaluable skills and experience as you enter the working world.

For more information on apprenticeships, or to find apprenticeships near you, visit this website for more information: https://www.gov.uk/apply-apprenticeship