Apprentice to Professional

Tom Satterly - Economic Development Assistant 

I applied for the Devon County Council apprenticeship scheme as I was 21 years old a felt it was time for me to have a career rather than a job. The 2 Business Administration qualifications, flexi time, Coaver Club membership and having Christmas off were all added incentives to encourage me to apply and have helped me to enjoy working for Devon County Council!

I started my apprenticeship in 2012 working for the Economy, Enterprise and Skills (EES) team. My work load was developed to meet the needs of the team, my development and my qualifications.  I was surprised and pleased that I wasn’t just given all the boring work that no one else wanted to do! Whilst in this role I developed my skills in; event organising, calendar management, project support and social media/communications and website management.

Not long before my apprenticeship was coming to an end I was lucky enough to gain permanent employment as Personal Assistant to the Head of Economy, Enterprise and Skills. This was a great opportunity for me to continue my development. In this role I learnt more about what DCC and the EES team do. This role saw me play an important part in the restructure of the team and I really enjoyed my time as a PA. I worked hard and felt appreciated for the work I did but the more I worked in the EES team the more I learnt about what they do and the more I wanted to get involved with their projects! I felt that I wanted to progress into a project officer type role within the team.

I am now an Economic Development Assistant within the EES Business Support and Innovation. I am responsible for my own projects and help local businesses access the support they need. I am learning every day and enjoy what I do. I feel my previous experience has given me a good base to continue to climb the ladder!

I am closing in on 6 years at DCC and feel like I have gained a lot of experience in my various roles. This wouldn’t have been possible without the support of DCC and my colleagues. I would highly recommend an apprenticeship to anyone who was looking to begin or change their career!

Tom Satterly

Economic Development Assistant
Twitter | Facebook | Website