David- Cultural Services Apprentice

Hi, my name is David and I'm currently working as an apprentice in Cultural Services Department of Tameside Council. I’m studying a Level 2 NVQ in Business Administration. My role involves supporting the organisation and delivery of events and arts engagement projects. There is also a degree of general administration such as printing, copying and answering phone calls. I really enjoy the variety of the role due to the tasks and challenges it presents on a daily basis. The role also provides me with the opportunity to work with many different people throughout the Borough such as artists and community groups which I really enjoy.

My working week can involve a range of out of hours working including evenings and weekends over the year as the event programme runs. I can often be working on theatre productions or arts engagement activities many of which need different skills sets. For example I can be working front of house on the annual civic pantomime, out in a park assisting with cinema, theatre or wood craft activities or serving breakfast to veterans at Armed Forces Day. Most recently I have been very actively involved in the Tameside Big Poppy Plant.

After finishing my A Levels at college I decided not go to university and try a more vocational route to employment. I think apprenticeship schemes work really well and would recommend them to anyone as you can have direct experience of the workplace and be financially stable. The qualifications you obtain at the end of your apprenticeship are invaluable and really boost your CV.

The best part of being an apprentice is the skills and knowledge that you gain from being in a working environment which you would perhaps not gain in a more traditional education route.

I thoroughly enjoy working for cultural services and look forward to progressing within the department . I  am aware that what I  am learning here will provide me with key life skills.

David’s Manager said: “David is a highly valued member of the team for Cultural Services; he has a range of skills and experience, but plays a strong and confident role within the team. David has joined the team in a time of substantial change and is critical to the success of the team, he is not afraid to tackle a full range of new challenges and also identifies areas which he can support the work of the department prior to being asked.  David is a real asset to Cultural Services “.

Samantha- Procurement Apprentice

Hi, I'm Samantha and I work at Tameside Council as a Procurement Apprentice. I am doing a Level 2 Diploma in Business and Administration. My day-to-day jobs include maintaining the corporate contracts register, creating new suppliers/contracts/products in Agresso and helping users with any issues they are facing when using Agresso.

I deferred my place at University as I didn't want to rush back into education for another 3 years. Tameside Council is a great organisation to work for and there was an advertisement for an apprenticeship in the audit department. I came a close second to this apprenticeship but another department (procurement) was looking for an apprenticeship so they asked me.

My favourite part of my course is meeting other apprentices who are doing the same qualification as me and knowing that you are a valid member of a team and having your own tasks/workload to do on a day-to-day basis. I am glad I chose an apprenticeship because I can earn money and get experience in a real job but also get a qualification at the same time. 

My advice to anyone looking to become an apprentice would be, to begin with it will be hard settling into your job and getting into a routine but it does become easier and you will gain a qualification and experience which is important when applying for jobs now, as well as being paid at the same time. Also, do not be afraid to ask for help because your team are there to help you learn and improve your skills. For anyone who doesn't want to go to University an apprenticeship is a great option.

Samantha’s manager said “Since Sam joined the team she has become a key member of the team and quickly became a valuable asset to us. She is extremely helpful and we receive lots of positive feedback from internal customers on how polite and helpful she is when dealing with their queries. It is lovely to have her as part of our team!”

Jamie- Apprentice at Tameside Council

Hi, I'm Jamie and I work at Tameside Council as an Apprentice and I am doing an NVQ Level 2 in Business Administration. My main tasks are to produce a weekly bulletin which is sent to a variety of community groups in Tameside.  It is a great way to network and it lets out my creative side. The other tasks I do are collating information for monthly stats and income reports which is a responsible task and it boosts my confidence knowing I'm trusted to complete important documents. I also do other administrative duties.

I joined the Apprentice Scheme relatively late, at the age of 22. After leaving school I completed my A-levels and worked at smaller organisations but struggled to find the next level due to not having gone to university to get a degree, and my A levels were all quite generic. The apprentice role that was offered solved both problems; it gave me the opportunity to work for a larger organisation whilst gaining a qualification.

My favourite part of the course is meeting different apprentices who are doing the same course who are at different stages of completing.  Its good knowing you’re not the only one and if you’re struggling with a particular aspect of your course who better to ask for help than someone who’s already done it?

I  was always under the impression that apprentices were for school or college leavers but it’s great for people over 21 who have come to a bit of a junction career wise.  My advice for anyone looking to do an apprenticeship would be, if you’ve had a full time job in the past but want to better yourself, don’t be afraid to take a step back in the short term to further your long term career.  If you do decide to become an apprentice, my advice would be to make sure you have a good work/study balance, try and pick up any additional training that’s offered by your employer and stand out.

My future plans are to hopefully get a permanent role within Tameside Council and try and build my way up as far as I can go, ideally within a service or team that helps the community.

Jamie’s manager said: “Being an Apprentice allows Jamie to learn and develop new skills in the workplace and use them on a daily basis.  He fulfils his administrative tasks well and is a quick learner.  He is gaining valuable experience and uses his initiative when performing tasks.    He has responded well to working in an office environment and is growing in confidence.  Being an Apprentice is a great opportunity for Jamie to apply his learning and work towards a goal.”

Victoria- Engineering Technologies Apprentice

Hi, I’m Victoria and I work in the Engineering Technologies Department of Tameside College as a level 3 Business Administration Apprentice and have worked here for 2 years.  I help to organise and complete the administration for the Business Improvement Techniques Team. These tasks include the organisation of enrolments and the forms which need to be completed, ensuring all students are enrolled and then registered correctly, minute any meetings which the team are involved in, keeping track of all students and helping the staff to complete any tasks which I can help with and reminding them of tasks which may need to be completed. As well as general admin tasks such as filing, photocopying, typing letters, taking phone calls and looking after the stationary for the department.

After leaving Fairfield High School and completing my A-levels at College, I chose an apprenticeship because I felt that I needed a break from full time education, and the thought of being in debt with no guaranteed job at the end led me into looking for an apprenticeship. This way I was gaining the experience, in my field of work, which most employers look for when advertising for new employees. When applying for an apprenticeship I received help from the Apprenticeships Department, within the College, where they helped and found me jobs to apply to and they helped me to improve my CV. An apprenticeship was best for me as I am earning whilst I am learning, as well as gaining my qualifications.

My advice for anyone looking to become an apprentice would be don’t hold back on applying for an apprenticeship as you think employers won’t be looking during that time of the year, they look during all months of the year, it is just finding the job and apprenticeship which will best suit you. Don’t worry about the workload as your assessor will help and guide you to understand and complete the units chosen, these will all be chosen by you so that they best suit your job role as everyone carries out different daily/weekly tasks.

My future plans are to hopefully obtain a full time job in Business Administration once I have completed my level 3 and progress further in the future once I have gained further experience.

Victoria’s Manager said: “Victoria has become a highly valued member of the team for Engineering Technologies; she has gained not only essential skills and experience but has gone from strength to strength with confidence and competence. We have all seen the difference in Victoria whilst she has been with us we have every confidence in her work and abilities. Victoria is challenged in her role on a daily basis and has exceeded our expectations; she has a great future ahead of her.”

Chloe- Business Administration Apprentice

Hi, I’m Chloé. I work in the Student Record department at Tameside College. I am currently working as a level 3 Business and Administration Apprentice. I have been at Tameside College for just over 2 years now and have covered two departments. My current role involves enrolling the students who attend the college, handling money and doing student cards. I also do general administration jobs, like printing, photocopying, sending letters, email internal/external customers and filing. I enjoy working with the people alongside me and meeting new people on a daily basis, which has built my confidence up.

 I also covered the Helpdesk role for IT Services, where I completed my level 2 businesses and admin, my main roles were to book jobs for the technicians, change student passwords and answer calls and emails. The best part of the apprenticeship is that I earn while I learn and that I am gaining experience in an office environment.

I would advise anyone to do an apprenticeship, my advice would be to stick to the apprenticeship to gain new skills, get experience, earn money while you get the qualification and hopefully get a full time job out of it.

Chloe’s Team Leader said: Chloe came into our Department and is a valued member of the team.  Her confidence has flourished and she is very willing in every aspect of the job. Chloe has gained vast experience since working with us dealing face to face and in her telephone skills. She is very warm and welcoming to all customers that we deal with and is very professional in her approach when dealing with outside bodies. She has learned a great deal about the office environment and data protection. It is also great that she gets paid while still learning various skills needed.

George- Social Media And Digital Marketing Apprentice

Hi, I’m George and I work in the Marketing Department of Tameside College and I am doing a Level 3 Social Media and Digital Marketing Apprenticeship. My day to day tasks involve creating content for the College’s Facebook, Twitter, Google+ blogs, taking photographs around the College (for events and promotions) and dealing with queries on the College’s social media sites alongside assisting other team members if needs be.

After leaving Audenshaw School and completing my A-levels I decided that instead of going to university and having to spend another 3 years in full time education I would look for an apprenticeship so that I could earn some money and get experience in a real job but also so that I could get a qualification whilst I was doing it.  By chance I saw that the College were advertising Social Media Apprentice jobs on their website so I applied straight away.

The favourite part of my job is meeting new people and going to new places such as visiting companies for photoshoots. Before I started my apprenticeship I was very quiet but now my confidence has grown tenfold. The fact that I also really enjoy using social media at home is also a massive bonus and this makes me even more passionate about my job. The experience of working as part of a team and doing things that I would never do normally has been excellent.

My advice to anyone looking to be an apprentice would be to just go for it and make sure you try your best at everything you do. It is hard work but in the end its worth it because you will come out with a fantastic qualification and experience working in a real business which in the current economic climate companies desperately want. 

George’s manager said that “Having George as our Social Media Apprentice has been really beneficial because it means we can train him in the way we do things – it’s a pragmatic approach.  The extra resource allows us to take advantage of opportunities that appear in the College on a daily basis. It also benefits our brand because we have consistency of message and tone through one person. It also benefits the whole marketing team as it means our social media plans are executed on time and we can listen to our online community effectively. It’s great for George too because he can learn best practice while he earns and in the future he will be able to turn his social media skills into a career.”

Susie- Human Resources Apprentice

Hi, I'm Susie and I work in the Human Resources Department at Tameside College as a Human Resources Administration Assistant. I am studying for a Level 2 in Business Administration and a Level 3 Apprenticeship in Customer Service. My job role involves calculating and inputting data for payroll, helping to organise events within the workplace e.g. charity events, Health and Well-being

week. I also deal with customers face-to-face and over the phone and manage the department’s correspondence.

After leaving high school I completed my A-levels and then came to Tameside College to study a Level 2 in Beauty Therapy. After which I decided not to go to university because I realised that there would be a lot of debt involved and there wouldn't be a guaranteed job at the end of my course. So, I looked into an apprenticeship and thought it would be great for me; I would earn while I was learning and it would put me in a good place for employment at the end of the apprenticeship programme. I would gain a valuable qualification at the end of my course, also many employers desire experience and as an apprentice you gain vast experience.

I think the best part of the course for me is learning how to work with people.  I am very much a people person and love the regular contact with customers.  My customer service course is really rewarding and I thoroughly enjoy it.

I would like to continue to work within administration, I thoroughly enjoy it.  I would love to continue employment with Tameside College but if this is not possible I will search for employment elsewhere.  I do foresee myself having a career within administration and I look forward to what opportunities come about for me.

Susie’s manager said “Having an apprentice working in the department has been very beneficial, and seeing the difference in somebody over a period of time is very rewarding.  I would not hesitate if I was asked to have another apprentice in the department; Susie’s skills have developed tremendously in the time she has been here.”