In conversation with Tribal Apprentice, Chloe Simpson

For the last twenty years, apprenticeships have soared due to the exciting opportunities offered by many companies both large and small. Apprenticeships are a great way to gain the skills and knowledge within a chosen sector, whilst also being paid and mentored by experienced members of staff.

As part of National Apprenticeship Week 2021, we sat down with Tribal’s own apprentice, Chloe Simpson, MIS Advisor in the Data Management Service team, to better understand from an apprentices’ point of view the reality of enrolling on an apprenticeship.

Why did you choose to enroll on an apprenticeship?

There are many reasons why I chose to do an apprenticeship, a few of them being that I can gain job-specific skills crucial to the industry I wanted a professional career in, these skills are constantly improving, meaning at the end I will gain qualifications which can be used to move into higher roles. Being an apprentice gives me the opportunity to work alongside more experienced staff in a workplace environment which improves my knowledge more. It also means that I do not have to enroll to college full time – which I have tried in the past, but that learning environment just isn’t for me.

How do you manage the learning and working aspects of your apprenticeship?

Juggling learning and working aspects of my apprenticeship can be tricky at times, but I have the support from both my apprenticeship tutor and my line manager/colleagues. When I’m working on my learning aspects, I always relate them to my work – finding the similarities between the two helps me understand what I’m learning and how this will improve my standards in the work place. I allocate time throughout the week to work on my apprenticeship work because being organised in both aspects improves the quality of my work.

What do you like most about enrolling on an apprenticeship?

What I like the most about enrolling on an apprenticeship is meeting the apprenticeship provider team and seeing how they will support me in completing my apprenticeship. There is also the excitement involved of getting to learn new things and being put outside your comfort zone to do so.

Did you find it difficult to secure an apprenticeship at first?

Yes. For me it was very difficult. After months of unsuccessful interviews and no responses, I finally secured this job role – which just proved to me that it was well worth the wait. Looking back at the organisations I had applied for; this was hands down the most beneficial one.

What advice would you give to people thinking about doing an apprenticeship?

My advice would be do it! There are so many positive benefits that come with an apprenticeship and if you feel like giving up because you have been unsuccessful in the past, remember that there is no interview that is a bad interview, there is always things to reflect on and improve, ready for your next, so don’t give up yet!

Where do you see your apprenticeship taking you in your future career?

Once I have completed my apprenticeship successfully, I hope that I can continue improving my skills and knowledge so that I can keep progressing higher within my organisation. There is the opportunity to acknowledge the wider sector of my organisation and look at other positions that intrigue me.