It’s National Apprenticeship Week

At UKSBS, we are committed to developing early careers. This year, as we review our apprenticeship schemes, we asked Gemma Carter, our Onboarding Coordinator in the HR Resourcing team, why she chose an apprenticeship as her entry into the workforce.

"After finishing my A-levels I was left feeling uncertain and daunted about my future, being heavily pushed towards going to university. Knowing this was not the path I wanted to follow, I began my search into Apprenticeships. I applied for a 15 month Business Administration Apprentice within UKSBS which kick started my journey of both personal and professional growth. The Business Administration Apprentice appealed to me because of the opportunity to gain experience focus on HR which was my preferred career path. It really appealed to me for the ‘earn and you learn’ aspect but also the Business Administration Level 2 qualification.

Starting my first ‘proper’ job, I was extremely anxious and shy to be entering an established organisation however, my worries were quickly resolved as I was warmly welcomed into HR Service Delivery where I am delighted to say, I still work 5 years later.

My apprenticeship allowed me to rotate between several different teams within the business, including the contact centre and onboarding teams, dealing directly with our customers. I was given ample opportunities to build job-specific skills and knowledge crucial to having a successful career within HR and helping me to develop important connections early on.

I received one on one training and shadowed experienced members of the HR Service Delivery teams both individually and as a whole which enabled me to fully understand the behaviours that build a successful administrator. Being in the heart of a challenging and dynamic learning environment, I was able to develop both my technical skills as well as core skills such as communication, problem-solving and teamwork. Towards the end of my apprenticeship, I had a clear and guided path ahead of me.

I successfully applied for a position within the HR Onboarding team after completing my apprenticeship. Carrying with me everything I had learned from completing my Business Administration qualification, I was able to grow into being a valued member of the team, being knowledgeable and confident in all processes and building relationships within the team as well as the wider organisation.

Opportunities

"I’ve continued to be given new opportunities and learning experiences to further my expertise within the team, supporting change and continuous improvements CR’s and CI’s, creating the daily work allocation each morning for the team and supporting on training new starters. The scheme provided me with a fantastic opportunity to acquire a solid foundation of skills and confidence and I felt equipped to progress onto the next step of my career. When a promotion opportunity came around, I jumped at the chance and was delighted to move onto my next milestone in the company. Combining my apprenticeship and my entry role experience was critical in securing the promotion.

Since completing my apprenticeship. I’ve moved from an entry level role into my current more senior role. It’s given me clarity for my future career. Embarking on this personal and professional journey, I have been presented with valuable life skills I can adopt for my future within UKSBS. I’d highly recommend an apprenticeship to anyone wondering what their next step will be!”

Apprenticeships in UKSBS

We’re developing our schemes for later this year but we’d love to hear from you. If you’re interested in an apprenticeship in UKSBS, please register your interest by emailing [email protected] and let us know the profession you’d prefer.

Find out more about working at UKSBS.