I finished my A-Levels just over a year ago and at this stage I was planning on going to University, until I saw the opportunity to apply for an Apprenticeship at Fujitsu. I was aware of Apprenticeships previously, however I assumed that University would be the automatic next step within my education path and at the time, colleges were continuously encouraging people to follow the academic route. My aim was to showcase my skills from the beginning of my career and an apprenticeship enables an individual to do this as well as furthering their opportunities for progression. In making this decision, I have found that an Apprenticeship with Fujitsu is more than just valuable work experience; I have gained greater knowledge, professionalism and a wide range of opportunities are available allowing me to control my own career path.

I have always been fully aware that Fujitsu is an organisation that is recognised globally and this gave me the incentive to apply as I would become part of a well-respected and successful organisation with a large range of career development opportunities. I knew that being a part of the Fujitsu Apprentice Programme is a proven method of learning whilst you work, but also the Apprenticeship offers us the opportunity to gain recognised qualifications with minimal time away from our workplace, which for me was great as it allowed me to fully commit to me job role knowing that there would be additional benefits during and on completion of my qualification.

My career aspirations are to find a position within my organisation that will continue be challenging and allow me to excel as an individual. My aim always being to deliver an end result, as I can imagine this is very rewarding. I remain an ambitious individual who likes to learn and develop new skills where possible, therefore in the near future I aim to complete my Business & Administration Level 3 programme with a keen view towards starting my Higher Level Apprenticeship in Business and Administration.

Whilst working towards my qualification, a vital tool I have learned is to focus on attention to detail. This has been an important element in passing my units and exams which is also a tool I can apply to my day-to-day role. In addition to this, my qualification has helped me to manage my time effectively as I had deadlines to adhere both throughout my studies and during my Apprenticeship at Fujitsu. My NVQ has taught me a large range of administrative skills that have helped me in a recent project I was able to take the lead in helping the elderly community by working with a well-known charity. As I learnt a lot about project management for certain elements within my NVQ, this has allowed me to follow this activity from start to finish using the best approach to ensure a successful outcome.

In any organisation, Business and Administration skills are essential and I have been able to apply and learn these skills, whilst getting on the job experience. The qualification has developed my understanding of administrative skills in a more complex form, it has helped me to demonstrate how you work and communicate in a business environment along with introducing me to business etiquette and developing this to become a great role model for the future.

In knowing I have a nationally recognised qualification, I feel empowered me to put myself forward and be confident that I can succeed in future opportunities within the company. Achieving excellent standards in my qualification has given me motivation and a feeling of fulfilment within my day-to-day job role. Unlike many other routes you receive a real variety of work experiences in a business environment as well as obtaining a qualification at the end. For anyone who wants a great opportunity being an apprentice in a business such a Fujitsu is excellent, as you are in control of your career with an open road for you to follow.