Business Apprentice Review

My role as a Business Apprentice at Sellafield involves a variety of day-to-day jobs. You are given two 6 month placements, and a 12 month placement, all of which are very different in scope of work. I have been able to gain experience in Security & Resilience, NSBS, Training and also MSS. During all of which, I have been given my own responsibilities, which helps you feel like a valued team member. Within each placement I have also had the opportunity to take minutes for meetings, and manage the actions for these.

As a part of my Training department placement, I was given the opportunity to take part in a ‘Training Co-ordinator’ training course. This helped me to develop my skillset further, as I was able to gain an extra qualification on my training record. It also meant that I was able to carry out the role of a training coordinator independently alongside the central training team and that I am suitably trained on OPMS / SAP software, which is what training co-ordinators use all around site in order to effectively carry out their role.

The business apprentice scheme has allowed me to gain experience in different aspects of the business. I have enjoyed being an apprentice for Sellafield Ltd. as each placement has always faced me with new challenges and responsibilities. It has also allowed me to build up my contacts throughout various areas, which may help when faced with issues in the future.

I feel that the apprentice programme is structured well, however there are some areas that can be improved on. When you first start your apprenticeship you are able to meet the different people on your cohort, and also the apprenticeship owner. You are also given a tour of the venue in which you will carry out your studying i.e. Gen2. For the business course, you visit Gen2 once a month to study for your diploma.

From personal experience I received a lot of support from my apprenticeship owner when needed. In my third placement they weren't supplying the level of work that I felt I was capable of doing. When I spoke with my apprenticeship owner, it wasn't long before they had found an alternative placement for me to continue my apprenticeship.

For the business scheme we visit Gen2 once a month to carry out our studying. During this time, we have the opportunity to ask out instructor any questions about the course/lesson. Our instructor also visited us at our workplace individually to ensure that we were happy and were receiving enough work. They also signed us off on parts of our training, based on what we carried out day-to-day.

The qualification I achieved through Gen2 helped to give me the basic understanding of business standards. For example, we covered organisation structures, the correct way to take minutes, booking travel etc. I feel that this knowledge helped me to perform well in each team, and gave me the base level of knowledge I needed in order to carry out my role.

I have volunteered to become a STEM ambassador for Sellafield. This means I am able to attend various events in the county to support the local community in Science and Engineering. By doing so I have been able to get involved in a 'Lego League' event with primary schools across Cumbria, and also world of work morning, helping younger people understand the working life. I have also been involved in various charity events as a representative from Sellafield i.e. creating shoeboxes for AgeUK

Yes

I would recommend Sellafield as I feel that it is a company that will help you to develop your career further, and support the path you wish to take. There are also things like STEM ambassadors which allow you to help out in the local community. There are also many aspects to the business, and there are many projects that you are able to get involved with.

The tips and advise I would give to those applying to Sellafield would be to research the company and its purpose well to ensure that you have a clear understanding of the business, create a portfolio of your achievements / demonstrations of your own work, and also practice for the interview by going over some common questions.