Different apprenticeships are available right across the United Kingdom, within companies large and small, in a wide range of industries and organisations. You get valuable hands-on experience working while you learn, which helps you progress in your working life. Georgia explains some of her personal experiences and thoughts for National Apprenticeship Week 2021.”
I became an apprentice because I wanted to carry on learning but also wanted to earn money. I always knew university was never going to be something for me so when my mum told me to look at apprenticeship jobs, I knew that would be a good option for me
Earning money whilst still learning was the biggest factor for me because I was learning whilst on the job and instead of sitting in a classroom being taught, I was getting experience.
Since completing my apprenticeship in 2021, I’ve gone from being an Admin Assistant to being a Trainee Account Handler – then in 2023 I became the fully fledged Account Handler that I am today. My apprenticeship helped me so much – when I started I was so shy and lacked confidence, this route has really bought me out of my shell and let me test the boundaries of what I can do.
A typical day in the office consist of me answering the phones, filing, checking client’s details are up to date and helping those around me complete tasks.
If you strip it all down to basics, a lot of what I do now is very similar to what I learnt during my apprenticeship! I still answer the phone to clients, the files are all digital now, but we still handle all of those, and we still update client details and help others in the team. The big difference now is that over the years I’ve taken on more responsibility, and now I’m proud to say that I’m at a point where I manage the diaries of our Managing Director, as well as one of our Associate Directors. I also deal with the renewal of policies for our high value clients.
Being in the pandemic meant that I wasn’t getting trained face to face and it was now happening over zoom which changed the way I was being taught. It meant I couldn’t just ask other people around me what their opinion was on different things within my course and what our procedures were in different areas.
I enjoy being in an environment where I learn something new all the time. Being in the office with only a small amount of people means I can listen to different conversations and learn from their experiences and develop my knowledge within insurance. I also enjoy stepping out of my comfort zone as I used to be someone who would never call anyone and now since being in my role, I have the confidence to call clients all the time.
An important part of my job is organising appointments for our account representatives to go and visit our Jeweller’s Block clients. Through doing this, I’ve found that I really love this side of things, organising people and making sure everyone is where they’re meant to be at the right time.
As many of our clients have been with us for a long time, I’ve found that through calling them and seeing them at various events within the trade, that I’ve built solid connections, and friendships – an opportunity that I might not have gotten had I not chosen the apprenticeship at TH March.
Even after my apprenticeship, I’m still so supported by my team, as well as the wider company. There are always learning opportunities – whether it’s online courses to days out at industry specific events. And for the most part, I’m working with the same people that I worked with when I started, which is amazing – it’s like working with family!
I would say to make sure they set up a time each week where they focus on doing their apprenticeship work as that helped me keep everything separate and get all my work done.
Choosing an apprenticeship is the best thing that I’ve ever done for my career. It’s been so transformative for my personality, boosting my confidence and allowing me to come out of my shell.
I was so glad that I was lucky enough to learn a profession and earn a full-time wage at the same time, I always knew that I didn’t want to go to university – and my experience has cemented this as I’m in a secure and respectable position without being saddled with thousands of pounds of debt. If you’re reading this and debating whether to do an apprenticeship, or if you know someone thinking the same then I definitely say that you should do it!
At TH March we take pride that we have been offering apprenticeships for twenty years, and that we have received the Silver accreditation for the We Invest in Apprentices framework.
If Georgias’s story has inspired you in any way – you can follow this link to find out more about TH March as an apprenticeship provider: https://www.thmarch.co.uk/careers/apprenticeship-scheme/
Or to see our current vacancies, click here: https://www.thmarch.co.uk/careers/job-vacancies/