Rating

7.8/10
  • 1. Please give an overview of your role and what this involves on a day-to-day basis:
  • I am currently in a Level 3 apprenticeship looking to qualify as an Infrastructure Technician. At work I work with the internal IT department. There are three of us in this department so it is close knit and easy to get on with my colleagues who treat me like any other employee which is great! A normal day at work for me would be performing certain tasks on my laptop which help the internal IT systems of the company. For example monitoring the performance of employees systems to make sure they are running well and there are no issues. If there are issues, and a large part of my role is dealing with the issue. This means going to see the employee (which allows me to interact with everyone in the company) and fix the issues they may have. It could be a software issue, hardware issue, or anything, I am there to make sure they can continue with their days work. This is a very quick overview of what is included, there is tonnes I do and it is very enjoyable as well as challenging! I have a large amount of responsibility at work as I am an Admin. This means I can perform a lot of actions normal employees can't and have a large amount control over the systems within the company. I have worked on many different projects at work such as, installing remote desktop and maintenance software on all devices, rearrangement of office workstations, creating a script for automation of wallboards, setting up new employee systems, deactivating of ex employees systems. I could go on and on as there is so much I am involved in which really makes me feel part of team and that I have a purpose as an apprentice.

    9/10

  • 2. Have you learnt any new skills or developed existing skills?
  • During GCSE's ICT was a mandatory subject that I passed. I decided to study the subject further at A-Level, which offered me a little bit of knowledge about a lot of topics going into my apprenticeship. I enjoyed studying the course, however going into the job role as an IT Technician what you do is very specific and focused. You must know your way around operating systems and how a computer works in terms of the components that make up a computer system. Like I said these topics were briefly covered at A-Level so during my apprenticeship there has been a lot to learn. This is not a negative thing as learning new skills and knowledge is great and makes work enjoyable. I have learnt so much since joining the apprenticeship both at work and at training. Training is attended once a week and sometimes we have block weeks where we are at training for the week. At training we learn five modules all focused on the role of an infrastructure technician. Training is like being back at school and you do follow a Government programme meaning you must learn other topics such as English literature, basic maths, prevent programmes, British beliefs, and more. This can be frustrating at times as you are there to learn about IT. However without the training we wouldn't succeed at work. It is also a nice change during a normal week with an opportunity to meet new people and make connections. Some highlights of what I have learnt from both my workplace and training centre include, how to make a computer, how to fix hardware issues as well as methods to fix or find issues with software, navigation around different operating systems including Windows, Mac and Linux, how to install an operating system, coding, networking, and more.

    8/10

  • 3. To what extent do you enjoy your programme?
  • I am very happy that I decided to go down the route of an apprenticeship rather than university. It has been a fantastic experience rich with knowledge and opportunities to meet new people, make friends for life, and importantly connections for further work life! Work which was local to where I lived was always an easy commute and a place full of bright people from all walks of life, races and religions. The company was relatively young with a product that meant growth came at a steady rate, and it was great to see the company grow and succeed when I was there. Everyone at work was friendly and enjoyable to work with, which made the work side of things easy! There was always lots of work to do, but I never felt stressed or under too much pressure to perform. In terms of the other side of the apprenticeship which was the training, it was a welcome break during a normal week of work. It was good to learn new skills and meet new people from all over London. Unfortunately training didn't fully meet my expectations as often classes were rushed, or we was made to teach our self rather than be taught. This was frustrating especially when we did have to take exams. However I still had a great time at training and learnt a lot.

    8/10

  • 4. How valued do you feel by Natterbox?
  • When I first joined the company it took people a while to trust me with their issues which I understood as I came in and didn't know too much at first and often had to ask for help. However the training I received and the skills I learnt meant that soon people would often start to come to me for help rather than the other IT guys. This was a great feeling as it felt like people trusted me and made me feel like part of the company. Like I said previously my department was a small one which meant we was all close and I was never treated like an apprentice, but more as an employee and someone who was positively applying them self to the company and job role. I always felt appreciated by my manager and fellow IT colleague, as they wanted me to stay with them when it came to deciding if we (the apprentices) wanted to move to another IT related department.

    8/10

  • 5. How well organised/structured is your programme?
  • During the first week of joining the company the induction lasted the whole week which was tiring but it was nice to know we was valued as they wanted to take the time to give us a full introduction. In terms of the organisation and structure of the programme, at times it didn't feel like much of an apprenticeship, but an actual job and me being a full time employee. I appreciated that my manager was always very busy as he was high up in the company, but we rarely had apprenticeship meetings or meetings with the training provider. At work there was never really much talk of the apprenticeship or how progress was going. However I always knew that if there was anything I needed I could go to people for help or support, and this was both at work and training. In terms of the organisation and structure of actual work tasks, it was fantastic as I always knew what I was doing and could go back and refer to notes if I needed to.

    7/10

  • 6a. How much support do you receive from your training provider?
  • At training we had a lot of support and it was always reinforced that whatever we needed, whatever issue we had that they could help. This was great as I always knew that I could ask anyone for help and they would be happy to comply. We had one main teacher who always stressed that he would stay late to help with classwork or could be contacted by phone for questions and help as well as email. We also had a mentor who was there to talk about issues at work or home or any questions we had, which again was really good to have.

    8/10

  • 6b. How much support do you receive from your employer?
  • Like said previously my manager was always very busy, in meetings, or out of the office. In terms of support from himself it was always brief and a lot of the time over the phone or messaging system. This wasn't too much of an issue as I could always ask the other IT colleague for help if needed. He was a similar age to myself so it was really easy to get on with him and always fun. Our HR team was small and only consisted of two people, this meant that unfortunately at times questions weren't always answered and issues not solved. However having ex apprentices at work meant I could always ask them about my questions which most of the time were based around the apprenticeship.

    7/10

  • 7. How well does your salary/package meet your costs?
  • Unfortunately this was one of the more negative parts of the apprenticeship. It was expected as apprenticeships are commonly known to pay poor wages, however I always told my self that it was only this wage for a year and I was learning whilst earning which was always a benefit. At times it was slightly demotivating that all the hard work I was putting in only provided me with enough to pay my monthly expenses with a little left over. However I drive a car which is a large expense and like to regularly go out with friends and my girlfriend. I always ended the month with money left over, but it would've been nice to have been able to save more and earn more for the work I was doing which was the same as my colleague who was on double what I was.

    5/10

  • 8. Are there many opportunities outside of work?
  • There are lots of opportunities out of work that I have attended. The first event that I attended was an apprenticeship meet and greet at my old high school. I attended representing my company and it was a fantastic experience and piece of work I can add to my CV. In terms of company events we have one or two every year. I have so far attended one which was our Christmas party. We went Go-Karting and then stayed the night at a 4.4 star spa hotel with food, alcohol and entertainment! We also have a yearly summer party which includes a fun day out and then the company sponsor a local beer festival which I am really looking forward to!

    10/10

  • 9. Would you recommend Natterbox to a friend?
  • Yes


  • 9b. Why?
  • I would recommend an apprenticeship to a friend. Many of my friends went to University and are under a lot of stress with their work, in debt, and in doubt that they will even get a job when they leave! An apprenticeship allows you to learn and earn on the job as well as making friends and connections that may benefit you in the future. Also, many apprenticeships lead to jobs, and I am hoping that at the end of my course I will be given the full-time job. It is a great way to get into the industry that you want to be in.


  • 10. What tips or advice would you give to others applying to Natterbox?
  • For me the best way to get an apprenticeship is through a provider. My provider was StepForward. You sign up to their programme and they take your CV help you improve it and then send it off to companies who are looking to take on apprentices. Once they find you an interview they bring you in to help you with interview technique and then send you off to the interview. If you succeed then you have yourself an apprentice, if you fail then the process repeats. This is all completely free and a great way to gain an apprenticeship. There are many providers, you just need to find one local to your area.


Details

Level 3 Apprenticeship

Information Technology

Central London & City

April 2018

Recruiting? See how we can help you