Our Apprentices were keen on getting involved with the week-long celebration of National Apprenticeship Week.
Below they have shared their experiences on why they chose an apprenticeship, their journey with The ONE Group and Anglia Ruskin University so far and why they believe an apprenticeship is one of the greatest opportunities for students like themselves.
Rebecca Head, Degree Apprentice – Marketing
Becoming a degree apprentice is one of the best decisions I have ever made. Throughout my A-Levels I was determined to find the most beneficial career path to go down as I had no idea what I wanted to do. An apprenticeship is what always appealed to me, especially as it is an active approach to learning (‘on the job’). I did almost go down the traditional university route but unlike everyone around me it didn’t feel right.
Since joining The ONE Group, I have loved every moment! Alongside my role as a Resourcer, my creativity has helped make an impact on the Marketing Division by introducing LinkedIn vlogs, featuring in TOG videos and getting more recognition for the Northampton office such as the article I did with Anglia Ruskin University. The support I have from my team and the university has helped me progress in my role at a pace I never would have imagined. My favourite part of the role is knowing I am helping candidates get their dream role and helping clients find that perfect candidate for a role!
My apprenticeship has opened up many career options both with The ONE Group and studying my Chartered Management degree with ARU. I am excited to see what the future will bring! I would encourage anyone who is not wanting to go to university or college or even A-levels to consider an apprenticeship. There are so many industries and educational levels they cover and can lead to some amazing career opportunities.
I am studying a degree alongside gaining a vast amount of experience… what more could you want?!
Andrew Clarke, Degree Apprentice - IT
After finishing my A-levels, I wasn’t sure exactly what I wanted to do going forward. I decided to go travelling, working in a couple of different countries. This allowed me time to think about my career progression, as well as gain great experiences traveling around Europe! Many people follow the crowd, going straight to university however this isn’t always the best route - you need to do what is right for you.
Jobs are increasingly after experience, rather than qualifications. The best way to get experience I hear you ask? Apprenticeships! The opportunity to get 4 years of commercial work experience is invaluable, gaining many skills along the way. Don’t forget the degree that you will come out with! Studying while you work requires good time management, however is very doable, especially with the support around you.
In recruitment, days differ! One day I am calling candidates who are actively looking for work, understanding what roles they would be interested in, what locations, salary ect. Other days I could be doing ‘update’ calls on candidates that we have considered for roles in the past, finding out what they are up to now, and if they would consider another role. The chance of landing someone a dream job is amazing! Providing positive feedback after an interview telling them they have received an offer is what it’s all about. I love the people that I work with. Everyone is so supportive, funny, and want you to do well. An apprenticeship has improved my career options 100%. Gaining work experience, whilst studying a degree is something you cannot do in any other way than an apprenticeship. If you are considering an apprenticeship, do it. College may try and persuade you to go straight to uni (they did with me)but follow what feels right. Take a gap year! Go Travelling! Enjoy yourself first, then commit to whatever feels right. Taking time out after college is the best thing I’ve done.
Sam Fallon, Degree Apprentice - Marketing
Having been in my Chartered Management degree for over a month now I have had a great experience starting my Apprenticeship. I joined The ONE Group as a Resourcer for the Marketing Division. It has been an eye-opening opportunity to see the world of marketing, one that I had never experienced before and learning all the complexities within this division. Whilst working at the ONE Group alongside completing my degree, I personally feel that I have developed more skills than I would have if I’d just gone to university.
This brings me onto what inspired me to apply for this apprenticeship.
If you are like me and you never felt higher education was for you (be that the classroom structure or a large group or the formality of it all), I would suggest having a look at apprenticeships. An apprenticeship was the clear route for me as originally, I was going to head straight into any role I could get as I really didn’t know what I wanted to do. However, after seeing the array of apprenticeships out there, I knew an apprenticeship was for me. Real work experience is always a valuable thing to have but having all that experience AND a university degree, it was just a no brainer for me.
Euan Craddock, Degree Apprentice - IT
Having been in my current position for around 2 months now I can say that I have thoroughly enjoyed my experience so far. Before starting my Chartered Manager Degree Apprenticeship, I had recently finished my A-Levels and found myself looking for a Degree Apprenticeship in a challenging yet rewarding environment. I have always been a strong believer in working while studying and therefore feel that this position matches my personality greatly.
Throughout my time within the IT Division at The ONE Group I have had exposure to a variety of markets such as Software Development, IT Infrastructure and Gaming. This, along with the added support of my mentor, has developed my knowledge and ability to perform within my role. I recognise the amazing benefits my course has to offer and I’m excited to see what the future holds!
Georgia Liversage, Talent and Development Partner
If there ever was such thing as a Workplace Zodiac, 2019 would forever be known at The ONE Group as the Year of the Apprentice. Following a thorough and rigorous selection and assessment process at the end of 2018, it was clear that we had secured ourselves some rising stars in the form of fresh and enthusiastic Degree Apprentices, ready to embark on their next huge adventure in the world of Recruitment. Did they understand what they were letting themselves in for? Possibly not. Did they take a dive into the deep end and sign on the dotted line, anyway? Absolutely.
Having experienced consistent and significant growth since 2004 and now boasting some of the top recruiters in the local marketplace, we knew that we were ready to take on a new challenge and focus our efforts on the very thing that has made us so successful in the first place; our people. Not only did we want to inject our current experienced consultants with new and refreshing training and development opportunities, we wanted to take our future talent potential to a whole new level - this is where the Degree Apprenticeship Programme had us hooked. We were able to select talented individuals with the key competencies required to make it as a successful Recruiter and utilise our current knowledge and experienced professionals to support them through their journey. For us, this is more than just an educational programme, this is the opportunity to pass on industry knowledge, commercial awareness and total business savviness to the future leaders of our industry. It's often said that running a desk in a Recruitment Agency is like running your own business, so what better place to nurture and grow the skills required in business than in your very own mini business?
Since our Degree Apprentices joined us in January of this year, they have contributed significantly to the success of their immediate teams, colleagues and that of the wider business. They’ve created engaging social media content, found new candidates and placed people in their dream jobs. They’re becoming more commercially aware by the day, learning about profit margins, terms of business, negotiations and what a good client relationship looks like. It might still be early days, but the four star players we have on our team are willing and ready to learn everything they need to know about how to make it to the top of their game – and they’re only just getting started. You can’t teach work ethic and dedication, but luckily for us, our Apprentices have already shown us that they have these two things in abundance and we can’t see them slowing down any time soon! Welcome on board Sam, Becca, Andy and Euan - what a brilliant way to start the year!
If you have any questions for our Apprentices or would be interested in hearing more about our Apprenticeship Programme, then email info@theonegroup.co.uk.