Apprentice to Professional
Amy Kyme - Apprenticeships Administrator
I began working for Devon County Council in October 2016 as a business and administration Apprentice. In April 2018 I successful gained a permanent position within the HR Apprenticeship Team as an Apprenticeships Administrator.
After I completed my Business Studies course at Exeter College I originally planned to go to university but after my brother who had also been an Apprentice at Devon County Council told me about the DCC Apprenticeship Scheme I decided to apply and wait to go to university after I finished my Apprenticeship, that way I would have some professional work experience.
Working in the Apprenticeship Team made me realise that HR is the career path I wanted to go down as I've enjoyed all aspects of the Apprenticeship Teams work I've been involved in and enjoy working with the people in my Team. My experience increased my interest in HR further so I decided to apply for a permanent position in the team to gain more experience and progress onto a HR Apprenticeship instead of going to university.
An Apprenticeship was the right route instead of university for me as I was able to find the right career for me, avoiding the university fees! My Apprenticeship at Devon County Council has given me great experience working in HR that I wouldn't have got if I went straight to university after College and it as benefited me personally, I am more confident since joining in 2016 and have been involved in many exciting opportunities.
I've made some great friends while being an Apprentice and together as a group we have been involved in volunteering and fundraising with WESC, assisting with the recruitment process for the group of following apprentices with the opportunity to sit on the interview panel and also being involved with the Devon Farm Wise event at WestPoint. As well as my monthly training sessions the Apprenticeship Team organised all of us apprentices to have our own Presentation skills and Interview Skills training to help us continue to develop more.
As an individual I have been able to help promote Apprenticeships to others with the opportunities that have been available to me. I joined the Young Apprenticeship Ambassador Network and took part in 10k Talks where I visited my old school, St Peters to give a presentation in front of 250 students! I was also able to invite two other Apprentices to join me who also were ex St Peters students to share their experiences as well. This year I was shortlisted for PPMA Apprentice of the Year and I travelled up to Leeds for a two day competition which consisted of real life challenges that tested and helped to enhance my skills and abilities.
I recommend Apprenticeships to anyone who is unsure what they want to do in the future as it is a great opportunity to continue to learn and gain valuable experience.
Amy Kyme
Apprenticeships Administrator
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