Apprentice Talks

If I complete an apprenticeship I'll have no social life and will miss out on loads of other exciting opportunities! WRONG!!! In this episode we're joined by Jasmine King, Housing Policy and Practice Degree Apprentice at FlagShip Group, and Anna Morrison, Director of Amazing Apprenticeships who discuss the endless opportunities available to apprentices. From going to the pub or out for lunch to speaking at school events or in front of MPs, apprentices get to do so many amazing things. Hit play to find out what else you could get up to as an apprentice!

The Apprentice Talks team are reunited for this episode to discuss how their parents reacted to them starting their apprenticeships. We understand that many things influence the choices you make, especially when you're going through education. Whilst many parents are extremely supportive whatever route you may choose, some may not quite understand how life-changing an apprenticeship can be. Things have changed so much over the years and the apprenticeships that are now on offer are probably very different from the ones your parents know of. Due to this, some parents still think university is the only route to success. We're here to help you show them that apprenticeships are just as credible and offer you an alternative pathway to success.  Why not call your parent over and take a listen to this episode together!

Employers play a fundamental role within apprenticeships, so it was vital that they featured on at least one episode of Apprentice Talks. We wanted to understand why employers value apprentices so much and why apprentices are key to closing the skills gap. On this episode we're joined by Jenny Taylor, UK Foundation Manager at IBM, and Daniell Morrisey, Senior Editorial Early Careers Schemes Manager at the BBC. Both Jenny and Daniell make it clear that apprentices are an essential part of their organisations and help them future proof their business, as well as allowing the organisation to reach younger audiences. Find out more about the apprentice roles available at IBM and the BBC and why employers value apprentices by clicking play.

We're sometimes told that apprenticeships are only for those who wish to be plumbers and hairdressers, the reality is that couldn't be further from the truth. There are currently 739 approved apprenticeship standards being delivered! This week we hear from Maia, a Level 7 Solicitor Apprentice working at DAC Beachcroft, and Emma, a Digital and Technology Solutions Degree Apprentice, who works as a Software Engineer at Thales. We discuss some of the exciting things they get up to within their roles and give you some tips and insights into how to break into similar roles.

In this episode we look at how apprenticeships can help with career progression. We are joined by Charlotte Stoddard, who is now completing her third apprenticeship with Trafford Council. Charlotte is an associate member of the CIPD, the sub-regional Chair for the Greater Manchester Young Apprentice Ambassador Network and won apprentice of the year in 2017. Charlotte has accelerated her career by choosing the apprenticeship route and is now an experienced HR professional working towards gaining a level 5 qualification. You can find out more about Charlotte's career journey and her successes by hitting play on S2 E5.

Most apprentices will tell you that taking an apprenticeship is a great opportunity, but many apprentices will tell you it's the opportunities that come from taking an apprenticeship that can really change your life. This week we talk to two apprentices who have been lucky enough to travel internationally through their apprenticeships.  Emily, a Level 6 International Rotational Degree Apprentice at Pearson College London works as a Student Recruitment Assistant. Emily has had the opportunity to work in the Philippines as part of her apprenticeship and would have had another international placement this year too had it have been safe to travel. Akua, a Level 4 Engineer Apprentice and Software Engineer at Lyst, was a Grace Hopper competition winner, which resulted in her attending the Grace Hopper Conference which brings together leading women entrepreneurs at the world’s largest gathering of women technologists. The conference was held in Florida, and whilst in the USA, Akua was lucky enough to visit NASA.

Episode 3 of our second series is all about where an apprenticeship can take you. We talk to two brilliant graduate apprentices, Holly Garrett, a graduate Level 6 Chartered Manager Degree Apprentice working as a Marketing Executive at Tesco, and, Shola West, a graduate Level 3 Digital Marketing Apprentice working as a Community Associate at WhiteHat. Holly and Shola take us through the journeys they have had whilst being an apprentice, some of the incredible opportunities they have received and what they have achieved since graduating their apprenticeships. Take a listen and find out what you could achieve through an apprenticeship!

This weeks episode focuses on confidence as an apprentice. For most, the idea of joining a business is both exciting and daunting at the same time. Us apprentices can probably all remember our first day, our first meeting, our first mistake and most importantly building up the courage to point out our colleagues mistakes. It's never easy being one of the youngest members of a team, but that's mainly just because we lack confidence. This quickly changes though!  One apprentice who can agree, is William Laven, a graduate level 3 Business and Admin Apprentice, now Operations Executive at Publics Media. William suffers from dyslexia and a stammer, which he says he used to really struggle with, particularly at school but also in job interviews. However, William has not let that hold him back and throughout his apprenticeship has gained the confidence he needs to be extremely successful, winning awards and even publicly speaking about apprenticeships and his stammer. William has a truly inspirational story, so click the play button and take a listen!

The life of an apprentice can often be extremely busy. We are used to working on many projects and trying to stay organised in order to manage our work, studying and social life amongst other things. At Apprentice Talks we refer to this as 'juggling multiple worlds' and believe that apprentices do this so much, we even made it our strapline. We wanted to hear from some other apprentices to find out what they get up to at work and how they manage their time. We were lucky enough to be joined by Haider Ali, Level 4 AAT & Level 7 CIMA Apprentice from Rolls Royce and Walyd Abdallah, Level 6 Software Engineering Degree Apprentice from Accenture. 

We're back for a second series, and we are certain you'll love this series even more than the first! We have spent many hours planning each episode and finding incredible guests to feature. You all told us how much you enjoyed our guest episodes, so this series don't be surprised to find a lot more guest appearances. Take a listen to this short introduction from the Apprentice Talks team to find out more about what to expect from series two and make sure to follow us on social media to stay up to date with all the latest news on apprenticeships.