In 2024, People First welcomed two new apprentices to the Business Team. Dilly (Business Admin Apprentice) and Olivia (Finance Apprentice) who have been supporting our team, learning new skills to assist them in reaching their future goals; this week it is their turn to share their experiences and achievements since starting this new journey.
What do our apprentices do?
Our apprentices work hard every day, supporting all our staff across People First. From basic admin support, working with our Best Life students, sales ledger, to trips out with Healthwatch- they do it all!
Here are a few things Dilly and Olivia have been up to since joining us:
- Learning the basics- Since joining the organisation they have had the opportunity to work across multiple departments to support their knowledge and understanding of the life changing work People First do. This has included learning about fundamentals parts of the business such as, the different software tools we use, our policies, data management and delivering brilliant customer service. Both Olivia and Dilly have become experts in these areas and support with the onboarding and induction of new staff.
- Meetings- Dilly and Olivia have been able contribute to the teams operations while developing their skills by attending a wide range of meetings. These meetings provide excellent experience regarding communication, active listening and note taking- and also some tasty snacks
- Best Life- They have worked closely with our learners during our Best Life sessions- with supporting our job coaches during corporate events, getting to know our learners and playing plenty of uno games! They have built amazing rapport with the wide range of people who use our services.
- Healthwatch- Both apprentices have also spent some time outside the office, supporting Healthwatch with surveys for their Aging Well Project. They joined Chloe and Sally at the Carlisle agricultural expo where they engaged with a range of attendees.
“I loved joining Healthwatch and learning more about what they do! Hearing people’s opinions on what supports aging and talking about the purpose of Healthwatch was really interesting.” -Dilly
“Learning more about other departments and roles of the organisation was so interesting, I loved seeing how our work as the business team supports the other departments and how our different teams fit together to achieve our goals as an organisation.”- Olivia
Why choose an apprenticeship?
Dilly and Olivia have both shared why they have chosen an apprenticeship and why they believe it is beneficial to them and the business.
Dilly
I chose an apprenticeship to learn a subject while gaining experience and skills. After leaving school and spending a few months at sixth form, I decided that I wanted to develop more knowledge on the world of work and begin my career of working in business.
Since starting my apprenticeship, I have developed both knowledge and behavioral skills which will support me in the future such as professionalism, practical experience, responsibility and communication. It has also allowed me to work with many different roles such as marketing, communications, finance, data and HR- helping me figure out where I would like to specialise in further.
Having an apprenticeship hasn’t only helped me build career skills but it has also helped me develop personal qualities like my confidence and allowed me to meet a wide range of new and interesting people.
Olivia
When I first left Year 11, I was unsure about what I wanted to do. I chose a Finance Apprenticeship because I’ve always loved maths, and it seemed like the natural path for me to earn while I learn. An apprenticeship is an amazing way to start a career and develop skills which will help me to establish connections later on in my work life.
During my apprenticeship, I have learnt a lot from the other members of the finance team, from them teaching me to just letting me shadow them which I couldn’t be more thankful for. I have gained skills in communication, finance, IT, using my initiative and many more.
Being a Finance Apprentice has improved my confidence a lot and helped me to meet some amazing people.
Achievements and Goals
Dilly Throughout my apprenticeship, I already feel I have achieved so much. I was given the opportunity in supporting David (our Chief Executive) with tasks, was Novembers Managers Choice winner and created my own campaign to spread awareness on mental health over wintertime. By the end of my apprenticeship, I hope to have achieved a range of skills and plenty of knowledge to progress my career further to one day be able to run my own business.
Olivia Since starting my apprenticeship, I have managed to achieve my Level 2 Bookkeeping qualification which will allow me to progress my knowledge and skills to complete my Level 3 apprenticeship in finance. I have also been nominated for managers choice and taken on responsibility of a range of financial tasks.
My goal is to get chartered and begin my career of being an accountant.