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>>> Hamer: You have to be over 16, to do an apprenticeship you have to be employed and
an EU resident and must not have previous qualifications above 'A' level standard.
Your qualification links directly to your job role. Most of the training takes place
in the workplace, you have a salary, you get paid
for all your leave and it is a marvellous way
of earning as you learn. More and more companies are realising the value of
apprenticeships, they realise this is an excellent way of getting motivated staff who will
be skilled in their particular field.
>>> James: I started as an apprentice in 2011. When I first started I was
quite shy and I wasn't really confident in my own abilities and now I'm taking on my
own little projects. I won Buckinghamshire County Council's Apprentice of the Year - I
was really shocked and surprised but humbled by it all. When I was an apprentice my team
really believed in me and pushed me further than I thought I could go, it's just made
me a stronger person within the workplace and given me so much more confidence to do
my chosen career.
>>> Webb: I left school at 17; I applied for several apprenticeships on the Apprenticeships
website. This was one of the ones I came back for, I got an interview for it and was offered
the job. My main responsibility is to look after and maintain the IT system and the phone
system as well. I also do general administrative tasks for the Practice Manager as well as
the doctors here as well. What I enjoy most probably is helping other people when they
need help and they've got something wrong I can offer them the support they need and
show them how to do it. I can take this experience in what I have learnt and my qualification
and take it to whatever I decide to do in the future. It gives you so many more options
than you might not have and it will develop you both as a person and as a professional.
I think it's definitely worthwhile doing.
>>> Lauren: Hi, I'm Lauren and I'm a Customer Relations Supervisor.
>>> Tasha: Hi, I'm Tasha and I'm a Customer Relations Advisor.
>>> Emma: Hi, I'm Emma and I'm Senior Customer Services Assistant".
>>> Lauren: I started with Peros in 2009, 4 years ago now and gradually got promoted
to the Customer Relations Supervisor role, which basically means contacting old and new
customers and generating business. Moira came and did a talk with the girls and offered
the Management NVQ Level 3 which is what I took. I came straight from school so it's
quite a growth, if you like. I had no previous experience with supervising people so it brought
things that I wouldn't necessarily have thought about to the job role, but I think the NVQ
helped with that, especially with managing people and doing things like appraisals that
I had never done before and team meetings and things that were never part of my day
to day job role, so that's helped -- not that I wasn't a confident person before but at
least now I know what laws and what groundwork I've got for the things I'm saying, so I know
where I stand to be able to deliver that to my team. My team has grown in the last year,
it has doubled in size, from 2 to 4, but still that's definite progress in such a short space
of time.
>>> Tasha: I enjoy the variety of people I get to speak to -- I'm mainly contacting people
you would never usually speak to and getting information from people. I had already done
an apprenticeship; I've already completed an Administration Level 3 at a previous company
for an NVQ supplier. The minute they said there were new apprenticeships coming in I
wanted to jump at the chance to get more qualifications. Hopefully in the future this will help me
progress. If ever a supervisor role were to become available or even in a different company,
different job role, this would maybe help me to get one up on other candidates who do
not have an apprenticeship. It's not easy but it will definitely benefit you because
it's going to be so helpful to you, you get to learn so much about your job role, it's
so varied and it will help you in the future.
>>> Emma: We deal mainly incoming calls. We call out to prompt customers, we take their
orders - we basically just process the orders. As of recently I oversee the team and monitor
them more closely and deal more with the escalated calls. I'm constantly learning - customer
services is just so broad I think it could apply to anything. You get a lot of guidance
along the way; you're never on your own.
>>> Hamer: We offer a number of apprenticeships stretching from Business Administration to
Customer Service, IT, Team Leading and Management. We also offer Childcare, Teaching Assistants,
Health & Social Care and all of these qualifications are offered at Level 2, which is Intermediate
Level, Level 3 which is Advanced Level and many of them we now offer at Level 4. I would
apply anyone to apply for a vacancy. We will put their names forward, support them through
the interview process and try and find them the best link for them with local employers.