Apprentice to Professional
Lara - Highways Business Systems Coordinator
When I completed my A-Levels I knew that I didn’t want to go on to University as I wasn’t sure what I wanted to study and if that warranted getting myself into a lot of debt. I worked as a waitress for a while to save whilst looking for an apprenticeship, as I thought this would suit me best with on the job training to gain experience and being paid to work towards a qualification at the same time!
I interviewed for a Business Administration Apprenticeship with Devon County Council in early 2018 and started in the Highways Services Team on 6 March. Joining such a big and diverse team meant that I was able to pick up a lot of skills whilst being trained on different processes, which also doubled up as evidence for my Level 2 Qualification.
Three months in, in June 2018, I interviewed for the position of a Highway Services Assistant and was appointed on a fixed term two-year contract, which then became permanent. This meant that when my contract for my apprenticeship came to an end, I would still have a job.
In 2019 we began our Level 3 Qualification, which would be completed in 2020 with an End Point Assessment comprising of an interview on a project you had managed and completed, presentation on this project and multiple-choice exam. Little did I know, I would be completing these in the middle of a pandemic. I interviewed for my current role in early 2020 and started in February, shortly before being sent home from work on 17 March due to the pandemic rearing its head, meaning the bulk of my learning of the new role would be completed at home. I am pleased to say that despite the pandemic and my workload increasing substantially due to coordinating PPE for the entire service of more than 300 staff, I passed with a Distinction and 100% on both my interview and project presentation.
For me, the apprenticeship, on the job experience, and my confidence growing went hand in hand. I am so fortunate to have landed myself in the supportive area that I did, with so many different members of staff throughout Highways pushing me to develop and challenge myself to expand my skills. Annually setting goals through the apprenticeship course, one of which being to progress into a higher role, and all of the support and guidance I have received has enabled me to progress into the role I am in today, Highway Business Systems Coordinator. I now have a lot more responsibility and faith in myself for completing tasks; be that organising training for over 300 staff, giving presentations to introduce new starters to the Service, or leading on projects, I feel well equipped to deal with the challenges work may throw my way.
My time so far at Devon County Council and completing both
my Level 2 and 3 Qualifications has meant that I have gained a lot of valuable
experiences, met people that I consider lifelong friends and feel supported and
valued as a member of staff. The balance of a team in your area to support you,
paired with a peer group of other apprentices was extremely beneficial, as it
meant that if you ever felt unsure on a subject, you had people that you could
approach for advice. I would massively recommend an apprenticeship as a strong
career choice as you get the best of both worlds with both qualifications and on
the job experience which will hopefully lead to a permanent role.
Lara
Highways Business Systems Coordinator
Highways Services
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