Apprentices talk about their experiences and the benefits of completing an apprenticeship scheme, Apprenticeships Summit 2008
Sapper Damien Digney
Apprentice - Royal School of Military Engineering
Education is the most important thing so I've always thought that I want to get a good qualification out of it. The main reason I joined was for qualifications. Once I leave the Army obviously I can go and do other things. The instructors here know exactly what they're doing, if you're confused about anything they'll explain anything to you. But here it's more like work and less like school because it feels like you're actually doing something with your qualification.
Lucy Rouillon
Apprentice - NHS London
The apprenticeship has made me discover my true talents and helped me apply them to the job that I've always wanted to do. Now I'm very interested in doing further education to further my career, so I'm looking into do a working degree in business administration. I've found a job that fits me in that I love my job, so I'm looking forward to my future.
Daniel Corp
Apprentice - Stone House Farm
The fact that it's hands-on learning and you learn it one week at college and then you're practising it sort of the next week at work, and you get paid to do something that you love and you just get a really good qualification out at the end of it. My skills just keep getting better and better.
Michelle Grandon
Apprentice - BT Openreach
When I first started my apprenticeship I was fairly shy and quiet, not very confident at all. I've made that much progress with my technical skills, my education, my personal skills, to the point that I'm now acting colt to my team. This involves training the other apprentices. I hope to encourage other young women to think about becoming engineers.
Ben Oliver
Apprentice - Church Conservation Ltd
I was never really too keen on school, just never really got the relevance of it. So now I'm working towards something at college, I could see where it's going, what I'm working for and the relevance to it really. It's a career isn't it, something to work on, something I can work to, constantly learning. It turns out I can actually put my mind to stuff and get it done when I really focus on something.
Cheryl Oliver
Apprentice - Bannister's Meadows
The main benefits for me is coming to here once a week, not being tied down to a college every single day, and it's refreshing to go to work the rest of the week. And I'm learning things here that they probably couldn't teach me at my workplace. You know, theory and communication skills, you get it all from here and then I take them back to the workplace.
Jonathon Pearson
Apprentice - Schwan's Consumer Brand UK Ltd
When I came here from school I didn't have good grades in English and maths which made me struggle in certain areas. Doing the apprenticeships, I've got up to my Level 1 in numeracy and literature, which has helped me doing cheques at work, doing reports, and also getting promoted. Me doing my apprenticeship has made me pay more attention to little details.
Dan Smith
Apprentice - Crown Public House
When I first started working here I had no idea, I thought it'd just be a bar job. Since then I've realised that this is the kind of industry I want to be in. I want to own my own bar and hopefully take it as far as I can. Yeah, just a real boost in confidence.
Alice Le-Good
Apprentice - Hamble Yacht Services
Originally I was intent on going into law and doing a law degree because I have got quite an academic past. I came and did this apprenticeship and did the work experience, and it sort of changed my view. I could be out here working in the fresh air doing something which I love. A lot of people tried to put me off, and I just thought well it's something that I enjoy and it's something I want to try. I think the apprenticeship is a fantastic opportunity to try something new. It doesn't have to be for life but it can be, and it will be for me because I've discovered something which I've thoroughly enjoyed and I want to carry on with.
