Apprenticeships at Havering Council

These three testimonials are from former apprentices and were written in 2020.

During years 9, 10 and 11 I found it hard choosing what I wanted to do due to the expectation to know what career path you want to take that will affect the rest of your life.

I had little to no idea of what I wanted to do or where I wanted to go, this followed me with a daunting thought at the back of my mind, “what am I going to do next?”

I was told by a teacher my only options were university or to get a job, which didn't fill me with much hope.

So I planned on going to university after college and alongside the course, I was planning to work part-time to help with the costs. 

As I was looking online for part time jobs and universities, I discovered an apprenticeship scheme within Havering Council, which immediately drew my attention as I would be able to help others, whilst gaining work experience and still work towards a qualification.
 
I am now employed as an apprentice for the SENDIASS team that provides advice and support to young people with special educational needs and disabilities and their parents or carers. I was interviewed at the end of September 2018 and started my apprenticeship in the October.

I am now three months into my apprenticeship and working hard towards the Level 3 Certificate in Business Administration.

Throughout the experience I am hopeful that I can develop my skills, both electronically and in person through speaking to other colleagues and to clients of the service.

It is proving to be the perfect route for me to continue with my education in a way that I am comfortable with as well as something I am interested in.

Chloe

SENDIASS Team Apprentice

After leaving school, I started my first apprenticeship in Level 2 Business Administration and I believe that it is the best way for young people with little or no experience to improve their career prospects.

I had been considering other education paths prior to starting an Apprenticeship but University and College didn't appeal to me because learning on the job works better for me than just classroom based learning.

After I had completed my first apprenticeship I saw that Havering Council was taking on a cohort of Apprentices and I was really interested in this as I knew that working for a local government is a great experience and a good place to start my early career.

I was interviewed by a panel of managers from different departments at Havering Town Hall and I managed to secure a position in the Trading Standards department.

The best thing about apprenticeships, in my opinion, is that you gain valuable knowledge and experience whilst also earning a wage to support you through the course.

I feel my skillset has developed a great deal over the course of my two apprenticeships and I look forward to continuing to develop my skills in the future, by progressing on to higher level apprenticeships and eventually being qualified to degree level.

Jamie

Public Protection Apprentice

After spending 17 years in my previous employment I had begun to find the work uninteresting and there was no opportunity for progression within the company. I decided that I needed a career change and a new challenge.

I was totally unaware that an apprenticeship was available as I truly believed this was only an option for school leavers.

When I came across this on the website I was truly excited and applied straight away.

When being offered an interview I was ecstatic, they were held close to my home at the town hall. I nervously entered but felt at ease and welcomed pretty instantly.

Getting the apprenticeship has given me a great opportunity to get the training I need for my new job, receive qualifications and earn a better income which wasn’t an option before.

I am currently carrying out my Business Administration Apprenticeship which I am thoroughly enjoying. This is helping me to develop my skill set and build my confidence to achieve a level 3 qualification. I feel I have learned so much already;and look forward to learning a lot more.

Currently I am unsure about additional qualifications, so after I have achieved this one I will revaluate my choices.

Once I have achieved my Level 3 Business and Administration qualification I hope to secure a job with the Council.

Jacqueline

Business and Administration Apprenticeship