HR Admin Apprentice Review

As an HR Admin Apprentice I am doing three month placements within eight different teams with the human resource department. Spending a lot of time in different teams means I can expand my knowledge of the different roles within HR. I fill in a diary to keep track of what extra work I've done including additional learning as at the end of the apprenticeship it will add to your proof.

Since starting the apprenticeship my confidence has increased when meeting new people as this is a constant. Not only did I meet new people when I first joined the skills academy, but also when moving between placements. You may feel nervous at first but everyone is welcoming and in the same boat. I've learned how to take notes efficiently which is very helpful because as an admin I work with different teams and sit in on many meetings where I need to remember what's been said and the decisions made. This was an external training course arranged by work. It is more fun than it sounds. With your time at this organisation you will develop as a person. It's a different environment to school and you're not thrown into the deep-end of the place of work right away either.

I really enjoy my time on this apprenticeship. I have learned a lot and everyone's been really helpful. You don't need to be afraid at asking any questions as everyone is happy to help. The skills academy team are very welcoming. The culture is very non-judgemental. The workload isn't overbearing either and if you're struggling your mentors and line manager are there to help.

The programme started off with an induction which was really good as it gave me a chance to meet other people who were on the same course as me as well as get to know people who had different interest and were going into different field at the same company. Training consists of different placements as well as going to college once a week where I study and gain an internationally recognised HR qualification, the CIPD. My workload isn't overbearing and recognises that I do also go to college and allows me time to study for and work on different college assignments alongside. I was given a pre-set plan of where I'd me for different placements so I could prepare for these as well as know where I'll be from one week to the next.

I have monthly meetings with my line manager where we discuss my workload, what work I've been given by both my placement and college. Most importantly she checks up on me weekly as well to see how I'm coping with my mental health and if I need any extra help to do with either my mental health or learning difficulties. There's great access to extra support for mental health, wellbeing and general support. This is easily accessed and you don't need to go through your line manger for some parts either.

I have two monthly meetings where I talk to apprenticeship support from the college I study at. This checks in on my workload, my mental wellbeing and how I am getting on in class. I can ask general questions and if I have any queries or worries they listen and take it on and see what can be done with it as well as keeping me 'in the loop' with anything they do.

My qualification gives me a wider understanding of how HR works and it's role within a company. I've been able to put the theory from the CIPD into practice at work, as well as bring what I've learned at work and apply it to what we are learning at college. A lot of the CIPD course goes hand in hand with the work I do in my apprenticeship. My knowledge of HR methods and practices have increased.

Yes. There's an apprentice council which you volunteer for and any apprentice can join. Additionally, when you're in placement most teams like to get together occasionally outside of work to meet up. Many apprentices have a group chat on many media platforms where they arrange times to go for brunch on the Fridays off, or play football in the evenings against other teams. Also, the company raise money for local charities where they can give back to the community.

Yes

There's a great sense of community. Everyone is very welcoming and you get to meet people that you wouldn't normally meet in your personal life. I used to think I lived in a relatively small town and knew most people but when I joined AWE I realised that where I live was far more common, I've even ran into some of the skills academy team a few times when out shopping. AWE is very hands on and likes to make sure that everyone knows what they're doing and what is going on at the company. There are newsletters out weekly and a site called SharePoint where all news is shared whether it's company or from public news where our field of work is involved.

Be honest. It's an arms' length body of the government and the background checks will find out everything. The interviews are carried out on the assessment day where you'll work in a team. Everyone you meet on the assessment day is going out for the same role you are. Don't hold back, but don't be overbearing if you have ideas. If you can try and get work experience in a similar field as tis shows that you are serious about the role you're applying for and what you want to do. If you do know of anyone with links to the company already then definitely talk to them and ask about their own experience.