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Hear from people who have been apprentices and see first-hand how apprenticeships can help you build the skills and knowledge for a rewarding career.
We are catching up with Natalie, a complaints officer for adults and children’s services at Ealing Council. Natalie was an apprentice in the council from April 2019 to April 2020, which led to a permanent role. She even won the Apprentice of the Year award in 2020.
I left school early with no qualifications and I started working full time at the age of 18. I spent seven years working at McDonald’s, followed by four years at Ladbrokes. Having three children, I was not really thinking about a career. I just wanted to earn some money and go home to my family.
In 2018 my husband passed away. I realised that life is short and I wanted to do more with my life – to better myself and make my children proud.
I received an Ealing News Extra email with information on apprenticeships. I had always thought apprenticeships were for school leavers, but I was happy to see there was no upper age limit requirement. It was difficult to decide whether it would be worth taking a pay cut for a year, possibly more, and work in such a different environment but I decided to apply and see how it goes. I’m so glad I did.
The role was suggested to me by the apprenticeship team after I attended the initial workshop.
When I read the role profile, I was very scared. I did not feel that I was confident enough to be working so closely with councillors, residents and the voluntary sector but the team was right – it was the perfect job for me and I really enjoyed it. My confidence has grown so much and I have met an amazing network of people. After the end of my apprenticeship, I applied for, and was successful in getting to choose from two jobs at the council.
My main challenge was studying and qualifications. I had to take my maths, English and IT exams as well as doing my business admin units as I had not done them in school. With a lot of support from my tutor Peter from Hawk Training, the apprenticeship team and my team, especially my manager Tan, I managed to pass my exams and gain my qualification.
I also struggled with confidence when I first started. I thought I’d be looked down upon as an apprentice but everyone I have met at the council welcomed me very well and was very supportive and helpful. Nobody treated me any different.
Yes. An apprenticeship is a great way to start a career and get qualifications. It’s a good foot in the door and Ealing is an amazing place for apprentices.
My name is Samira. I completed a level 2 apprenticeship at Ealing Council.
Before becoming an apprentice, I worked at Heathrow Airport. I left this job to look after my young three children at the time. I then had a few temporary jobs. However, I wanted to do something more for myself and my children.
At the beginning of 2018 I started looking for something more permanent. I came across an apprenticeship at Ealing Council. I thought I might not qualify because of my age, but I was glad to find out that apprenticeships are open to people of any age once they reach 16. I had more caring responsibilities – a sick mother-in-law and a disabled brother-in-law. With a lot of support from my family I took the courage and applied for the apprenticeship.
Even though I didn’t get the apprenticeship role I initially applied for, I did get another one in Ealing Council’s planning department. I was a bit scared because I knew nothing about planning. My managers were brilliant and guided me through the apprenticeship. Also, my tutor at Hawk Training was very supportive. I got through all my qualifications and I passed all my exams, which made me feel confident about myself.
This is my second year of being a planning validation officer. I’m grateful to the apprenticeship team, my managers, my tutor and my family for giving me this opportunity. It’s never too late to follow your dreams and build your future.
Omnia, who completed a level 2 business administration apprenticeship at Ealing Council.
I am a single mum of two children – 7 and 9. I left my administration job in 2015 to become a full-time mum.
I thought apprenticeships were only for people of certain age. When I heard this is not the case, I thought it would be quite a good opportunity for me to go back to work. I love doing administration and being an apprentice meant I could learn and earn at the same time and gain more experience.
It wasn’t easy balancing study and work, alongside taking care of my family, especially during a pandemic. Despite these challenges, the experience has been very rewarding. I’m really pleased I did the apprenticeship and I’m proud of myself. It’s been great having so much support from my colleagues, the apprenticeship team and my tutor.
Doing this apprenticeship helped me in many ways – I gained a lot of skills, including time management, and it improved my self-esteem and confidence.
I’d definitely recommend apprenticeships. It’s been a great and unforgettable journey for me and a very positive experience.