Since the 2017 introduction of the Apprenticeship Levy, we have been delighted to welcome a host of apprentices to the business, we have apprentices working in across Tribal Group in HR, Benchmarking, Finance, Education Services and Higher Education.
In an extract from a recent blog post, Chloe Payne, HR Director at Tribal, explored how with a splash of creative thinking she demonstrated the value of an apprenticeship programme at Tribal…
“For me, in many ways, an apprenticeship programme is a ‘no brainer’. And for all the CFOs out there resigned to this additional ‘tax’, our HR team has proven that you can turn the Apprenticeship Levy into a mechanism to deliver quantifiable savings – and benefit.”
But what it's really like to be an apprentice at Tribal? We had a chat with some of Tribal’s apprentices to find out!
Jacob Garton - Trainee Application Consultant Implementation - SITS, EMEA
What apprenticeship are you working towards? HE Junior management consultant.
Why did you decide on an apprenticeship as your route through education? I chose to do an apprenticeship as it allowed me to earn money whilst working towards a career.
What support does Tribal offer you through your apprenticeship? I receive constant mentoring through the working experience. Along with 20% off the job learning to help complete my work.
What experience do you feel you have gained so far from your apprenticeship? I’ve learned a lot about teamwork and Tribal working life, culture, and ethics.
Sum up being an apprentice for Tribal in 3 words: Fresh, exciting, and challenging.
What are your hopes for the next steps in your career after your apprenticeship? I’m hoping to settle into the job and become a valued member of the team.
Hallam Storey – HE Trainee Application Consultant, Implementation - SITS, EMEA
What apprenticeship are you working towards? A level 4 diploma in Leadership and Management, and a Junior Management Consultant Apprenticeship.
Why did you decide on an apprenticeship as your route through education? It wasn’t the apprenticeship that interested me. I was simply interested in working for Tribal.
What support does Tribal offer you through your apprenticeship? What doesn’t it offer me?! Regular tea and coffee break, an air-conditioned office, private healthcare, and a cycle-to-work scheme. Tribal offers me an extremely beneficial and friendly environment to kickstart my career.
What experience do you feel you have gained so far from your apprenticeship? The most vital experience in relation to Tribal would probably be the SITS knowledge. I’m getting to grips with it fast in the hopes that I can pursue a role within Tribal outside of the apprenticeship.
Sum up being an apprentice for Tribal in 3 words: Rewarding. Diverse. Educational.
What are your hopes for the next steps in your career after your apprenticeship? I hope to prove myself valuable to the company and adopt a non-apprenticeship role. I’ve not decided which role in particular interests me the most, but I’m already eyeing job vacancies on the company site.
Jennifer Bryan - Trainee Application Consultant, Implementation - SITS, EMEA
What apprenticeship are you working towards? I’m working towards a Level 4 Qualification in Junior Management Consultancy.
Why did you decide on an apprenticeship as your route through education? I earned BA in Education, but decided my original plan to go into teaching wasn’t for me. The apprenticeship appealed to me because I still wanted to learn and gain qualifications in my new career path.
What experience do you feel you have gained so far from your apprenticeship? I have gained experience in a variety of areas of the business; from delivering training to customers, to participating in a development team sprint. In addition to this, my learning has been supported by a two month placement at a customer sight, allowing me to see the implementation process first hand.
During sessions with my apprenticeship tutors, I have learned about a broad range of business areas, including macroeconomics, finance, project management, policies & procedures and safeguarding, to name a few.
Sum up being an apprentice for Tribal in 3 words: Rewarding, fun, challenging.
What are your hopes for the next steps in your career after your apprenticeship? My hopes for after my apprenticeship are to progress onto a non-apprenticeship role and to gain experience across the different areas of Professional Services. Shortly, I will become part of a professional services team and here, I will be able to develop area-specific knowledge and put into practice everything I have learned throughout my apprenticeship.
Kieran Gookey - Apprentice Software Tester, Benchmarking, UK, EMEA
What apprenticeship are you working towards? Software Tester.
Why did you decide on an apprenticeship as your route through education? I wasn't a massive fan of the way I learned at school/6th form and I definitely wouldn't have gone to university for the right reasons. Secondly, I was told by people who worked within the industry that a degree wasn’t really necessary. Finally, I get paid so that’s a good reason!
What support does Tribal offer you through your apprenticeship? My apprenticeship is partly run by a 3rd party apprenticeship provider which allows me to go on courses and gain certifications. In terms of Tribal, the team I am currently in is very supportive and help with any queries I have and I also get the same benefits as a normal employee e.g. pension plans.
What experience do you feel you have gained so far from your apprenticeship? I have gained a lot of experience working within a professional environment and an agile development team. Both of which are experiences I could never get from a school environment.
Sum up being an apprentice for Tribal in 2 words: Trusted and professional.
What are your hopes for the next steps in your career after your apprenticeship? I would like to carry on with Tribal and maybe explore different roles which I find interesting and fun to do.
James Hall - Trainee Technical Services Consultant, HE Technical Consultancy, EMEA
What apprenticeship are you working towards? Technical service consultancy/Junior management consultant.
Why did you decide on an apprenticeship as your route through education? I actually got made redundant from a job I loved. Worked in an indie video games store, I also repaired mobile phones. Unfortunately, the company ended up folding, I realised I needed a job but wanted to further my qualifications so an apprenticeship seemed to be for me.
What support does Tribal offer you through your apprenticeship? Tribal has surrounded me with various experts to help fast track my learning, we’ve been assigned buddies too. Mondays are also defined as reflective learning, this really helps absorb and digest information from the previous week.
What experience do you feel you have gained so far from your apprenticeship? I’ve been thrown deep into a specialised technical world from a pretty early stage here which is great to be fully immersed. Equally as important though are the skills being pushed through the apprenticeship program. We’ve been focusing on project management and team building so far.
Sum up being an apprentice for Tribal in 3 words: Challenging, rewarding and educational.
What are your hopes for the next steps in your career after your apprenticeship? I hope to become a valued and utilised member of the technical team, eventually able to lead and teach the next generation.
Are you thinking about starting to offer apprenticeships? If you’re keen to get started, download our Apprenticeship Starter Pack (complete with a helpful guide to the technology and support you’ll need to consider) or by all means get in touch for a chat about how we run out apprenticeships.
