Rating
- 1. Please give an overview of your role and what this involves on a day-to-day basis:
- 2. Have you learnt any new skills or developed existing skills?
- 3. To what extent do you enjoy your programme?
- 4. How valued do you feel by PCMS Group?
- 5. How well organised/structured is your programme?
- 6a. How much support do you receive from your training provider?
- 6b. How much support do you receive from your employer?
- 7. How well does your salary/package meet your costs?
- 8. Are there many opportunities outside of work?
- 9. Would you recommend PCMS Group to a friend?
- 9b. Why?
- 10. What tips or advice would you give to others applying to PCMS Group?
My apprenticeship was a level 3 diploma in ICT professional competence, ICT systems and principals for ICT professionals. My job tile was 'Service Desk Advisor' my daily tasks consisted of taking incoming calls from various different customers with any IT issues they may have. From there it was my job to gather as much information as possible in order to either fix the issue myself, or to then pass over to my 2nd line colleagues to assist.
Yes i learnt may new skills during my time on my apprenticeship both interpersonal and technical skills. I began my apprenticeship with very little knowledge of ICT however I have benefited from the help, support and guidance from colleagues around me from all different areas of the business, to achieve the position I am in today and grant me two promotions during my time at PCMS.
I thoroughly enjoyed my time on my programme, I had the opportunity to learn many new kills as well as meeting a number of different people. Apprenticeships have always appealed to me as they are a great opportunity to not only develop your existing skills, but to gain exposure to new areas in order to progress your knowledge base further. Whilst gaining the experience of working within a successful business and earning your own wage at the same time!
I feel extremely valued by PCMS, not only by my managers and colleagues within my department but also by colleagues within other departments around the business. People from all parts of the business are always happy to provide help and guidance when needed.
I feel my apprenticeship was well structured and organised which i believed benefited in my success. I started my time at the beginning within the workplace working with other colleagues learning about both the business and my new role. From here i moved onto spending a number of weeks with my training provider where i learnt the knowledge which i needed for my role. Finally once the training had finished i then returned to the work place to begin my new role.
I received a good level of support and guidance from my training provider, they were always friendly and open to any questions i may have had. I had regular catch up meetings with my training provider throughout my time on my apprenticeship, this was both whilst during time on my training and also once back within the work place.
I also received a high level of support and guidance from employer. I had regular meetings not only with my Team Leader/Manager but also with a HR mentor, who were always willing to support me with any queries i may have had. These meetings were extremely helpful as this gave me the opportunity to discuss how i felt my progress was going, as well as hearing how my managers thought my progress was going.
PCMS pays above the Apprentice minimum wage for the first 12 months of an Apprenticeship meaning that the salary was fair and supported me with my living, travel and social costs.
I participated in many opportunities outside of the workplace, this included activities such as apprenticeship fairs held for current school leavers. This was a good opportunity to share with others my opinions and experiences during my time on my apprenticeship. I was also nominated by my employer for an 'Apprentice of the Year' award ran by Touch FM, which is was lucky enough to go on and win the award for the IT category. From winning this award I am now an apprentice ambassador meaning I have the opportunity to continue attending different careers fairs to share my experiences with other people.
Yes
As shown in my previous answers my attitude and views towards PCMS is extremely positive and i believe my apprenticeship program with them was a great opportunity. Even still today I enjoy my role at PCMS as I am lucky to work with a wide range of colleagues and customers learning and developing both interpersonal and technical skills. I feel each day I am learning new skills in order to progress my career which in turn will help to enhance my opportunities in the future. Therefore yes i would definitely recommend PCMS to anybody so that they can then also experience these opportunities.
The advice i would give to others would be to approach the apprenticeship/Job with an open mind and a positive attitude. There is a lot of information to learn which will benefit you with your job and lead to a successful career. Simply showing initiative and a willingness to learn goes a long way!
Details
Level 3 Apprenticeship
Information Technology
West Midlands
May 2017