Tip:
Highlight text to annotate it
X
NEA helped me a great deal because it provided the mentoring I needed and the focus I needed
to be able to draw up a business plan. And also to have the regular funding that you
get initially to just help you tick along whilst you are trying to set up your own business
and generate an income through it.
The NEA scheme was also great because it gave me the confidence to enter business awards
in my region, which I am a silver medal winner of Best Retail Business in South London.
And it's also given me a lot of focus to speak to people and to really clearly understand,
you know, how I should structure the business. Simple things, like whether it should be a
limited company or should I have set myself up as a sole trader. And all of the things
that you don't necessarily think of when you go "Hey. I've got this eureka moment. I want
to do something for myself", but actually need to step back and think about the grown
up things too about how you're going to structure stuff.
If someone was considering an apprenticeship then I'd say go for it, definitely. It's the
best ways to get into the area of work you want to. And you get experience whilst getting
paid. You don't have to try and front for college costs whilst you're doing the whole
thing, and then worrying about the money. Getting on site experience, and that is essential.
If you come out of college from just doing a diploma, you don't understand the real world
function of your trade. But do an apprenticeship, and you're doing it every day, and seeing
how other people work and not just how the book tells you to do it. And you learn all
the best ways you can develop your own techniques of fixing.
Luckily this week is Apprenticeships week, so they are plugging apprenticeships everywhere.
There's employers trying to get their names out there to say we are taking on so many
apprentices this week. And we vouch to keep them, and we vouch to give them jobs afterwards.
There is so much opportunity out there if you look for it. There's the main apprenticeship
website. You can contact employers directly. You can contact small business saying 'have
you ever considered taking on an apprenticeship'. Do your research, see the funding that is
available, cos most employers don't take on apprentices cos they think 'I can't afford
that'. They don't know that the funding is available, so that they don't have to pay
for you directly. And you will be an asset to their business, you know. You'll be another
helping hand.
NEA provided mentoring, and support, and guidance really. And initially there were start-up
costs, and the funding that I received helped me to, you know, obviously cover what was
necessary to get the ball rolling with regards to the business.